


Of Gods and Heroes

by autumnlucy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Past Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 08:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7354045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnlucy/pseuds/autumnlucy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mazel is a Hebrew slave girl living in 3000bc, Egypt. Ammon is a nobleman living in the same city. Both have been chosen to be the next Ladybug and Chat Noir, chosen by Tikki and Plagg. They are two people from two different ways of life, can they come together to defeat Hawkmoth?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SO this fanfic was started way back in November 2015. We didn't know a lot that we do now about the show, so some facts are certainly wrong now. One being Hawkmoth's Kwami being evil, and Tikki and Plagg finding their users on their own. I have chosen to keep these facts in the story as I am posted it here, originally from fanfiction,net. 
> 
> This fanfic has involved a lot of research into real Egyptian culture, not what Hollywood has portrayed as fact. As such I will post authors notes explaining such research so you can understand certain things about the culture. 
> 
> Although everyone minus the kwami in this story are Original characters, I have tried my best to maintain them to be as much like Marinette and Adrien as i can. Sense I am kinda of pointing towards each Ladybug and Chat Noir to be reincarnations of their past selves. 
> 
> And because of the support I have recieved from ff.net, I have decided when this fic is finished I will continue on with a whole series of other Ladybugs and Chat Noirs throughout history with the same such research. 
> 
> Thank you.

The two Kwami's floated above the city, the Capital of Memphis. Tikki looked over at Plagg. "I can sense her down there."

The tiny black cat looked over at the other tiny Kwami and nodded. "Yeah, I can sense him down there nearby as well."

Tikki shifted from side to side in mid-air, looking around the large city. Plagg had quickly gone his own way, and was now searching for his new partner. Tikki began to search on her way as well. She could feel the strong presence so close by that she felt like she was going to bump into her at any given moment. It was very early in the morning and the sun was barely creeping above the horizon. The Kwami passed the city center and moved closer to the residences at the Niles edges. There were wheat fields lined the area next to little houses that were made of mud and straw. Tikki searched around, not sure which house to look around in first. 

Though Tikki suddenly stopped and looked at a young girl who was sitting in front of one of the little houses. She sat quietly and looked out at the Nile River. Tikki slowly floated over to the girl, and stared at her. She studied the girl, trying to sense if she had the aura that she had been searching for. A giggle fell from her lips when she realized that this was the girl she had been searching for. Tikki flew down in front of the girl and smiled at her. The girl jumped when she saw the spotted creature. "W-What are you?"

"Me?" Tikki asked, pointing at herself. "Why, I'm a Kwami! I've been looking for you for so long!"

"Looking for me?" the girl asked. Tikki nodded and studied the girl. Her hair was short, cut evenly and above her shoulders. Her hair was lighter than most of the people in the city, brown rather than black. Her eyes were also a warm brown color, and matched her hair color perfectly. Tikki thought the girl looked very kind. "Why me? What are you?" the girl asked, repeating her question. 

"Like I said, I'm a Kwami, and my name is Tikki," she explained. "And I've been looking for you, because I have a gift for you."

"A gift...why for me? I'm just a slave girl," she explained.

Tikki nodded, and brought her hands together, a small beam of light lighting up the area. The girl covered up her eyes protectively and gasped. The light disappeared, and when the girl looked back down, she saw the small Kwami offering a necklace to her. It was an incredibly simple necklace. It was a choker style, and was made of simple twinge, and the beads that hung down from it, were what appeared to be simple brown wood. Even though it looked simple, the girl looked rather impressed with the gift. 

"Slaves can’t wear Egyptian jewelry, but this isn't Egyptian, and it’s so simple, I would be allowed to wear it," she explained as she picked up the necklace from Tikki's tiny hands. "But why me? What did I ever do to deserve such a gift?"

"You're the current chosen one," Tikki explained. "The current hero I've been searching for. You're the next Ladybug."

"...Ladybug?"

Tikki nodded her head and smiled. "Ladybug is someone who appears only once every few generations. And only one person can be her. You're that girl!"

"But, what is a ladybug?"

"While not from here originally, a Ladybug is a type of beetle. Similar to a scarab. In some countries, they are seen as extremely lucky, which is what your gift is. Ladybug brings good luck to the people she saves," Tikki explained. 

"So...you want me to be a hero, who saves people?" the girl seemed more confused by this concept than anything else. 

Tikki just placed a hand on the girl’s cheek. "There is no one else that can be a hero like you can be. Will you be my ladybug?"

She frowned and placed her hands nervously on her lap, still grasping the choker the Kwami had given her. She thought for a long moment, but then she looked right at the small creature. "So, I'll be saving everyone? Regardless of status or faith?"

"Anyone who needs help. You'll be facing an evil known as an Akuma. You'll be purifying the evil."

The word caught the girl’s attention. Her eyes were wide as she thought about the word and its meaning. Tikki could see the thought process through the girl. "So, I'd be doing God's will then?"

Tikki understood that this girl didn't share the same beliefs as the Egyptian’s. She realized she must have been a Hebrew slave, which wasn't common in Egypt. Though Tikki had heard that the Israeli’s and the Egyptians weren't exactly friendly towards the other. Tikki didn't believe in either faith's herself, but she knew that this girl would need a little bit of a positive shove in the right direction if she was to be a good hero. "You could say that. I'm sure God wouldn't want these Akuma hurting anybody. With the power I can give you, we can get rid of the evil that the Akuma spreads. So, will you be my Ladybug?"

The girl climbed to her feet and nodded. "Y-yes, I can be your Ladybug. If I can serve my lord this way, then I will be your ladybug."

"Excellent. As I said before, I am Tikki. And what is your name?"

"Oh!" the girl explained. "I'm Mazel."

Tikki smiled at the girl. "Nice to meet you Mazel."

8 8 8

Plagg ended up near a large palace looking structure. He was impresses to say the least. Thought there were hundreds of people. Many were sleeping on the floor and didn’t notice him flying above. So many people were about. It looked like they had had one heck of a party. Though none of these people were who Plagg was looking for. So he zoomed on through the palace over the sleeping forms, looking for his chosen one. 

He approached a few bedrooms, many of which has even more finely dressed people, sleeping. He passed by them all, when he couldn't find who he was looking for. So when he stopped at the entrance of a room, and found a young man sitting up on a small chair, looking out over the balcony, he was intrigued. The last remaining moonlight struck the young man, and bathed him in the light. 

He didn't notice Plagg behind him, which gave Plagg the time he needed to study him. After an amount of time, Plagg realized that he was the one he was seeking. Plagg floated over to the young man, and within a few feet, the young man seemed to sense Plagg and he turned around to face him. 

The young man had dark brown eyes, but they seemed brighter to, Plagg, in the darkness. His had dark hair, black in color, and cut short, though messy. Plagg had witnessed many people of this nation wearing wigs, but this young man seemed to be without one for the time being. Plagg moved closer to the young man and looked at him questionably. The young man did not make any remarks or seemed terribly concerned with the floating creature in front of him. Finally the young man raised his hands out to him, and Plagg landed on the man's hand. His stroked the Kwami on the head. 

"Have you seen sent from Baset?"

Plagg had heard the name in passing, and realized it must have been one of the many gods that the Egyptians worshipped. Plagg didn't care what the human thought either way, and seemed indifferent about the subject. "I came of my own accord," he spoke. 

This surprised the young man, but he barely showed any emotion really to Plagg. "Hmm, a cat that can speak. I'm intrigued. Why have you come to me?"

Plagg scratched his ear as he studied the human. "I came because you are the chosen one."

"Chosen one?" he asked. "For what?"

"I come to those who are chosen to become the hero Chat Noir. I've been searching for you for a while now. I can give you powers that will enable you to defeat an enemy known as an Akuma," Plagg explained. "I am called a Kwami, and my name is Plagg." He put his two paws together and a green light admitted from his paws, and he with a flash, he was holding a gold bracelet out to the young man. "This is my gift to you. This will give you the means to defeat the Akuma."

"I am Ammon," the young man spoke as he reached for the bracelet and took it from the Kwami. He studied the bracelet, and put it on himself, and studied it in the last remaining moonlight. "My father told me that the gods had greatness planned for me. I always thought he said it because his brother is Pharaoh, I never imagined they'd have a plan like this."  
Plagg kept his eyes on the human as he began to float in mid-air again. "The Akuma are very dangerous, and you are only one part of the team. Out there, there is another with great powers. You will meet along the way. You both have the duty of playing hero of this world."

Ammon studied the bracelet still on his wrist, and a smile formed on his lips. "Tell me more about these Akuma...and what about this, other?"


	2. A False Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ammon and Mazel must fight their first Akuma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the goddess Tefut is the goddess of moisture, and she is what makes Egypt…well have a river. Without her the Nile and everything dries up. She is also considered to have a gift of wind and such. She had a falling out with her father, Ra, so she ran away. And both her brothers, Shu and Thot were sent after her. I chose this, as I thought that the idea of someone 'caring enough' to come for her and comfort her, would calm her anger.   
> Also special terms used:  
> Shendyt: This is the word for the skirts the men wear. But this a special one that only the gods and royals wear. With the scarf like object that hangs down from in the front. It is also known as an Egyptian Kilt.

A few weeks had gone by since Mazel had met Tikki and became Ladybug. While no Akuma's, as Tikki, had called them had shown up, she still had done a lot as Ladybug. She had used all her powers and gotten practice. She supposed this was good, as she wanted to be prepared if she was supposed to fight these things.

The strangest thing for her was how she was dressed and looked. Her dark brown hair tinted to black and her clothes and jewelry appeared to be in every way that of an Egyptian queen or a goddess. Minus the red ankle length dress and black spots. Being Hebrew, this felt a little like a betrayal to her faith. Though Tikki assured her that her appearance let her blend in to the location of where Ladybug was fighting. That if she was in another country or time frame, it would match that time and place as well.

So while waiting for this unknown evil to show up, Mazel went about her day as usual. She worked in the fields with her younger sister, Elisheva. While Mazel was fourteen, her sister was only ten, and still very much a child. Though she worked in the fields just as hard as everyone else. Mazel used the sickle to slice the wheat. While Elisheva used her tiny arms to life the cut wheat and brought it over to a cart. Both were given rations of bread and water that Mazel always gave Elisheva most of. Mazel's throat always burned for more water, but her stomach was very much use to being mostly starved. A little less now than before though as Mazel had a third mouth to feed. Tikki always hid nearby, but Mazel always gave the little Kwami any food she could spare. Tikki didn't know how much she starved herself, though she didn't want her sister or Tikki to worry.

Today was no different. Her sister carried the bundles of wheat to the carts and Mazel cut away. This field was nearly done, which she was thankful. The flooding season was upon them, and with that they'd be sent to help in the city or in their owner’s home. Anything was better than the fields. And three months away was a blessing in Mazel's eyes.

Though little Elisheva didn't feel the same way. She was scarred when the Nile flooded. She had nearly drowned once when it flooded and the water came into their little mud hut. Mazel had gotten her onto the mud houses roof with the help of an older slave, and the two girls were safe, but Elisheva had been scared of the Nile ever since.

"Mazel, what will we be doing this year for the flooding season?" Elisheva asked between taking loads of wheat. Her sister had asked her this question every single day since other slaves began to talk about it.

She shrugged her shoulders like she always did. "I don't know. Probably doing repair work like always."

Elisheva looked unhappy with that answer, but Mazel knew that there was no point in being disappointed. Working in the master’s house was rewarded to only the best servants. As the small salary they did get, usually only enough for food, would be increased. Enough to one day buy their freedom. Though, Mazel had skipped at least one meal a day completely and was saving that little extra every day. Mazel hoped in at least two years’ time to have enough to buy back her little sister's freedom. Mazel yearned for her freedom, though she was positive that she would never actually buy her freedom.

"Don't pout," Mazel warned her sister. "Finish your work, we're almost done for the day."

Elisheva opened her mouth in protest, but she stopped and placed a hand on her cheek. Her eyes went wide. Mazel stopped what she was doing and looked at her sister questionably. "What is it?"

Before Elisheva answered, Mazel got her answer as she felt it too. A drop of water had hit her arm. Then another, and another. Elisheva gave a little cry and ran to her sister, dropping the bundle of wheat she had been holding. Mazel looked up at the sky. It had blackened within seconds and it was raining down on them harshly. Mazel felt a pain in the pit of her stomach.  It was going to start weeks early. The Nile usually flooded on its own, and it rarely rained in the area. Once every two years at the most. It’s had been four years since it last rained there.

The other slaves had stopped working, and they were all staring at the sky. Shocked and at a loss at to what they were supposed to do. Mazel quickly moved, picking up the bundle that Elisheva had dropped. She threw it onto the cart, and threw her sickle into the wheat. She called out. "Get the wheat! The Nile will flood the fields! Save the wheat!"

It seemed to spring the slaves back into action, as they too began to gather the wheat in the carts, and the slaves began to pull the cart from the fields. A fully paid man who was hired to watch the slaves work the fields, began to motion for them to pull the wheat in his direction, towards the master’s home.

The rain was heavy, and it soaked the soil and sand below them. Making it muddy and easy to sink down into. The carts were getting stuck, and they didn't know what they were supposed to do. Mazel pulled her cart as hard as she could, but it just wasn't budging.

There was the sound of a large crash, and Mazel thought it might have been thunder, but someone gasped and pointed to directly above them. There was a figure there, floating above. She realized it was a human woman, but it only took her a moment to realize that while the body was that of a woman, the head wasn't human at all. It was that as a lioness, but with a black Egyptian style wig on. Though Hebrew, Mazel knew her master's gods well.

"Tefnut," she gasped. How could there be a god floating above her so? There was only one true god in her eyes, so how could there be a goddess standing in front of her. Mazel felt a little dizzy at the sight, but the small Kwami reappeared and was on her shoulder and pointing to Tefnut.

"That's an Akuma!" Tikki told Mazel. Though Mazel knew what that meant, she felt her heart still racing. The things that Tikki wanted her to fight were Gods! "These aren't real gods. Think of them as false gods! That is an innocent person who is possessed by the evil I warned you of."

Cold water hit Mazel's feet and Elisheva who hadn't noticed Tikki as her attention has been so completely on Tefnut, began to scream and cry out. The Nile was flooding and it was flooding fast. She grabbed her sister and picked her up, and ran with her, racing to take her to their hut, and place her on the roof. She had to do that now, and she had to transform into Ladybug. She could sense Tikki and her fear of the situation. She knew that they meant business, whoever this false god was.

Once they reached the huts, Mazel lifted her sister up, and she climbed up onto the roof of the mud hut. Both girls were taller and older now, so another slave to help them wasn't easy. There was another roar, but when Mazel turned back, she realized something. Tefnut was on the ground now, and she was fighting someone. She wondered who the fool was, but she could see that it was someone Tikki had told her she might run into at some point.

A tall young man, who was wearing a black shendyt, while the rest of him was dressed in fine jewellery. He wore sandals that appeared to be made of only the finest materials. His black hair was messy, and seemed to move with a fine grace as he did. On top of his head was a finely decorated headband, with two golden cat ears. His hands and wrists were decorated with gauntlets made of gold, and formed sharp claws. His face from the bridge of his nose and up to his forehead looked like it was painted black.  

The false goddess and the young man fought. As jumped and moved around with an incredible grace and ease.  Her sister's mouth hung open as she watched the scene before her. Mazel knew she had to get in there. She was the only one who could purify the false goddess and free the possessed. She looked up at her sister. "I need to make sure everyone else is safe," she told Elisheva. Her sister broke from watching the fight and shook her head.

"Nooo!" she cried.

"You're safe, I'll be safe too," she tried to comfort her sister. "Stay put."

She didn't let her sister get another chance to argue with her, and she was already running off. The water was at her ankles, but she sunk a little in the muddy sand. She ran to hide behind another mud hut, and looked around before she transformed.

 

                                                                        8 8 8

 

Ammon had gotten pretty use to his transformation. He had Plagg transform him several times a night at first as he moved around Memphis. He used his new found abilities, new found strength and agility. To say he was having a blast, was an understatement. Having grown up in-between his father's home and his uncle's palace had caused a lot of boredom in his life. The same thing over and over again. It was routine.

Yet having these abilities let him move around and see the world in a way he never thought he would get to see. And to top it off, he got to be a cat while doing it. Perhaps the most honourable thing there was in this whole thing. The palace of full of them, and he grew up around the creatures. Even his father's home near the Nile River and the fields were full of them. They hunted for any vermin that caused sickness and ate their produce. The cat's earned their keep that way; in return they had shelter and care.

"How befitting," he'd tell himself as he jumped from roof to roof. The power filled him, and gave him a sense of power and fulfillment he had never known before. It made him incredible. Plagg had told him that he was only one power of two. That he was one half of a whole. There was another chosen one, who would fight alongside him when the Akuma would attack. Plagg warned him that only the other half could actually purify the Akuma, that Chat Noir was traditionally the muscle, while this other was traditionally the brains, but together they formed one grand team.

He supposed Plagg told him this because he tended to prefer to work alone. Reminding him that he had to give this other person a chance.

So when he arrived home from yet another feast that the Pharaoh had put on, he found these to be just as normal as always. The sun was high in the sky. It was just afternoon now, and the heat was hitting down hard. Not a cloud in the sky. He sat outside with his father, enjoying a glass of wine that the Pharaoh had sent them home with. Their home was by the Nile River, and his father owned the largest wheat field.

He watched as the slaves used their sickles on the wheat, while other slaves carried the wheat to carts that they would drag in from the fields that evening. The slaves were pretty dirty, as they didn't carry the same hygienic habits as the wealthier Egyptians did. Many were given the option to bathe in the Nile, but few did. He heard his father complain about it and their fear of crocodiles in the sacred river. They wore clothes of Loincloths, made from animal skins. Mostly from other countries. Such as doe deer skins.

"How was your uncle last night?" his father had asked him.

Ammon was not interested in answering the question. "The same as always."

"And the queen, was she in attendance?"

"She wasn't," Ammon told his father. The queen, Ankhesenamun, had been ill on and off for many months now, and often missed the feasts. Though Ammon was less concerned, as she was with child, and should be on best rest now with the birth of the baby coming any day now.

"Well, let us pray to the gods later for her and the baby’s health and safety," the older man told his son.

Ammon had lost interest in the conversation, and was looking back at the fields. It was then that he noticed how dark it had gotten. He looked up to see that the sky had turned black, and just then the rain began to fall. 'When did this start?'

His father jumped to his feet and looked over the balcony of their home. The rain was falling hard and the wind was picking up. The slaves were all stopped and staring at the sky stunned. Their stunned silence was broken by the sound of a young girl's voice, shouting out over the rain and wind. "Get the wheat! The Nile will flood the fields! Save the wheat!"

The slave girl was waving the other slaves in, and was running to a cart and was beginning to pull the precious wheat in. He had been the slave girl many times, but never bothered to learn her name. All he knew about her was that she was a Hebrew, and was bought by his father when she was eight years old, the same age as him. This was six years ago now.

There was a flash of lightning, but when he looked up, standing menacingly above them was someone he knew well. A Goddess his father prayed to many times a day. The goddess Tefnut. Ammon's eyes widened. His father dropped to his knees and began to pray, uttering about the wrath of the gods. Plagg who liked to hide under Ammon's wig, peaked out at the young man. "That is no Goddess. That is an Akuma."

"B-But that's the Goddess Tefnut," he gasped.

"That is a person possessed by an Akuma, and is taking on the form of Tefnut," Plagg tried to explain to him. "She's a false Goddess!"

The word false got his attention. He took his faith very seriously and prayed to his gods every morning and night. While Tefnut was not one he worshipped as seriously as his father did, the idea of someone making a mockery of his gods, made him angry. He turned and jumped off the side of the balcony. It was not high off the ground, and he landed easily. His eyes narrowed as he ripped off his wig. "Plagg, transform me."

The kwami disappeared into his bracelet and Ammon transformed into Chat Noir. He jumped and climbed with ease onto the roof of his home, and he looked up at the Goddess. He called out to her, "Dear Tefnut, what's wrong? Having a little temper tantrum are we?"

That got her attention, as she turned to face him. Her eyes glowed red, and she hissed. She charged at him in mid-air, and he ran off the roof, leaping high into the air. The two made contact, and Ammon used his strength to her off balance in mid-air. This brought her and him to the ground. They hit with a small splash as they hid the fields. The water was rising and the wind was picking up.

Both climbed to their feet, and the goddess charged at him, her nails grew to a long length, forming claws. He grinned and brought his hands out, showing off his gold gauntlets that too were sharpened with claws. "I can play that game too," he said.

Both charged at each other again, this time they were trying to claw at the other. She was quicker than he expected, and he had to dodge a lot of attacks, but with his new gifts he easily flipped and dodged the attacks. Though, he didn't expect her to suddenly leap into the air and suddenly come down at him. He glared at her and readied himself to jump back at her, but then there was another flash of light, and he was blinded.

He readied himself for the blow realizing that she had tricked him, but he felt something wrap around him, and then he felt a sudden pain of something around his stomach and yanking him backwards. He left out a gasp of air, and he tumbled back a few feet. Then the force around his stomach loosened and was gone. There was a bang, and the light disappeared.

And he realized that Tefnut had crashed into the water below, where she would have hit and probably killed him. He was stunned. "She's not going to go easy on you there kitty," he heard a voice, he did not know. He looked back at he was in awe at the woman who stood a foot behind him.

Her hair was almost shoulder length, and black. She had on a red headband, and a long traditional dress, only red in color with black dots. It was decorated with a red belt with a black and red scarf that hung in the front. She wore a golden choker that took up most of her neck, and hung around her shoulders and bust area. Gold anklets and bracelets. Across her face was red that spread from her nose up to her forehead that look painted on, similar to his black that covered his face. Her brown eyes looked down at him. He was stunned by her. The aura she gave off to him was that of someone very powerful. Though she didn't seem menacing at all, in fact, just looking at her brought a strange sense of peace to him.

She shifted and held up a strange around object in her hand. She jumped in front of him and threw the object. It was attached to a long bundle of what looked like twinge or rope and the red object wrapped around Tefnut's wrists. They actually bound them together.

"Get up," she ordered him. "I need your help with this false goddess." He snapped back to reality and jumped to his feet. "We need to get the object that's possessed and break it." She stated. "Do you notice anything that it could be?"

He hadn't been paying that much attention to the goddess beyond battling her. No such object. "I'll find it."

He charged at the goddess, and slashed at her. She hissed at him, and jumped into the air. The girl in red cried out, and tried to hold her back down with the red object, but she was lifted to her feet and thrown across the way. The red object broke free from the goddess and snapped back to the girl. She climbed to her feet, and glared up at the enemy. "Alright, so we need to do this together. Do you have anything besides those claws?"

He nodded and pulled out the sceptre he had strapped to his back. He had limited practice with the thing, and wasn't sure what he could do with it. He had been more interested in his attacks and claws. She nodded. "Fight her again, from a distance, I'll use my Lucky Charm."

"Lucky charm?" he questioned. Was it anything like his cataclysm?

"Don't ask, just distract her."

He remembered that Plagg had told him that she was the brains of the team, and supposed that he should trust that she had a plan. He stepped towards the goddess and extended the spectre and held it up to her. "I won't go down that easily."

He charged at the goddess, but when he did, she pulled out her own spectre, seemingly out of nowhere. He was a little worried, but he charged on anyway. They made contact, and their spectres struck one another and they began their duel. Ammon heard the girl in red call out Lucky Charm, but he didn't dare let himself get distracted by her. Even as a there was a flash of light. He couldn't say the same for Tefnut though, as he jumped in front of her and slashed at her with his claw. He struck her and she stumbled back. He went to charge at her again but he was surprised when suddenly the goddess bend down and began to bow. He stopped in surprise, but turned back and looked at the girl in red.

She was wearing a mask made of gold. Not any mask, but that of the God Shu. She approached the goddess, and bend down beside her, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulders. The Goddess suddenly grabbed onto the girl in red and began to verbally cry. It had been the first human like sounds Ammon had heard her make. The girl in red comforted her, and then reached for the bracelet the goddess was wearing. Ammon realized now that it was broken. The girl in red broke the bracelet further, snapping it into two. Then what looked like a black butterfly began to raise up. Ammon had heard of these butterflies but had only heard of them from eastern stories. The girl in red rose to her feet, and lifted the mask.

She took hold of the red around object she fought with and looked up at the black butterfly. "Time, to purify it," she said. She opened the red object and began to spin it around, and threw it at the butterfly that was trying to get away. She captured it and brought it to her, catching it. Then she opened it, and released the butterfly, now white. Then she lifted off the mask and threw it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" There was a bright light, and the mask disappeared, but the light that came from the mask, cleared up the sky, and then the flooding disappeared and any damages that were done were suddenly undone. And the possessed girl was covered last, and she was freed, leaving a young woman, who looked up in confusion to where she was.

 He seemed dumbfounded. He looked at her, and she then looked at him. There was an awkward silence between them. What the heck was he supposed to say to her? He thought he was a pretty big deal when he got his abilities, but he clearly had nothing on her and her gifts. Though she didn't seem to gloat about it or anything. In fact, she seemed pretty humble about it. "Well, we did it," she finally said. "I'm Ladybug, by the way."

He could only nod, and replied. "I'm Chat Noir."

Both heard a beeping noise, and she looked down at the choker she was wearing, the gold pieces that hung from her choker were turning brown. She gasped, "Oh no!"

He suddenly remembered his own bracelet and looked down on his right wrist where it was. The green gems had turned to yellow. He too only had one left. Their transformations were going to wear off. "I-I have to go!" she continued. She turned and began to run. He wanted to go after her, but he knew his power was running out too. "W-wait," he begged. "I think we should talk about this!"

"Not now," she called back.

"Tonight then," he screamed. "Meet me at the temple! At midnight!"

"Okay," she called back, though she didn't seem as nearly as worried or excited as he strangely was. He turned and ran in the opposite direction, running to the side of his house. He ran behind it, and just in time, as his power ran out. Plagg came out of his bracelet looking dizzy.

"You humans are so strange," he gasped. "Every single time, I swear."

"Every single time, what?" Ammon asked him.

"Every time a Chat Noir meets Ladybug, it’s like a spell is put on you," Plagg replied. "I was with you that whole battle, I know what was going through your head when you saw her."

Ammon narrowed his eyes at the Kwami. "I have no idea, what you’re talking about," he hissed. And he honestly didn't. The kwami rolled his big green eyes at Ammon and shrugged his shoulders, and turned to return to the house, where his father was. No doubt all the slaves and people in his home had witnessed the whole thing.

When he did, his father was ushering the girl who had just been possessed into their home. Ammon picked up the wig he had discarded earlier, and moved inside. He was surprised to find that his father was asking the girl about herself and if she as truly the goddess Tefnut. She explained that she was a girl from the city. Apparently she had a fight with her father over a suiter who had given her a bracelet. Her father didn't approve of the man, and broke the bracelet in anger. She said that was the last thing she remembered.

His father talked with the girl in excitement, but after at least an hour, the girl left and went on her way. Ammon was still thinking about the girl, Ladybug. He wasn't entirely sure what that was. "Father," he asked.

The older man looked at his son. "Yes?"

"Those two who fought earlier, we know that he was a cat, but the girl. The really powerful one, she said she was a Ladybug. What is a ladybug?"

The older man thought hard for a moment, but then he seemed to recall something. "It’s a beetle I believe. None around here. Must be a goddess from a faraway land."

Ammon lost himself in thought. 'Is that what my father and the others think of us? That we're gods?' Though Ammon always imagined himself becoming someone important, he never would expect this. He chuckled to himself. This was getting interesting.

 


	3. Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir speak for the first time. Mazel is given a tour of her masters home for her new job position.

Mazel's heart was racing in her chest and she felt incredibly nervous about meeting with Chat Noir. The way he carried himself told her that he as a true Egyptian, and was proud of that fact. While she was just a slave girl. This bothered her to no end. She was no Egyptian, no matter how much she looked like one as Ladybug.

Tikki had told her to not worry, that he only wanted to talk, since they would be fighting side by side, that Mazel didn't have to share any details of her life if she didn't want too. Mazel was relieved about this, and felt a little better about meeting with her co-hero.

She had left Elisheva home, who was fast asleep. Mazel didn’t sleep much, and often went for walks, so she was sure that her sister wouldn't miss her if she woke up. She stood in front of the temple, transformed, looking up at the large temple entrance. There standing watch over the entrance was the giant statue of Horus, the Deity of the city. She took the red spotted object that Tikki told her was called a yo-yo and began to spin it around, until she threw it into the air, latching it onto a smaller statue. She began to climb up the side of the temple, and then pulled herself up onto the smaller statue. Once on the edge, she spun the yo-yo around again, and did the same thing, pulling herself up. This time to the roof of the temple. She put the yo-yo back onto her hip and she looked around on the roof. She was currently alone.

So she began to wander around the roof, and looked around at the city. She could see many torches lighting windows or streets around the city, but there were few people out and about.

She heard a thud a few feet behind her and she turned to look at the boy she fought with earlier. He wandered over to her and sent her a grin. "Well hello there, Lady Goddess."

She frowned. "I'm not a Goddess."

He was still grinning at her, but he did reply. "I know you aren't an actual Goddess, but that doesn't mean I can't call you one."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave him an unimpressed stare. "Fine, hello there, kitten."

He didn't seem insulted by her words, and just leaned in to look at her. She didn't move an inch, but he didn't move either. She wasn't going to be intimidated by him; if that's what he was trying to do.

"Have you heard the stories?" Chat Noir asked her. "Our heroics have spread through the city."

"I don't listen to gossip," she told him sternly.

He seemed surprised. "But Lady Goddess, I thought all fine Ladies of Egypt were always on top of the happenings."

Well, for once, she wasn't a lady of Egypt, she was a slave of Egypt. And second, if she was a lady of Egypt she wouldn't spend her days gossiping.

"Well, I assume your husband keeps you busy then," he said, purring the word 'busy’.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not married, kitten."

He actually seemed surprised by this information, but his lips formed into a smile. She instantly rolled her eyes. "Not interested in getting a husband either."

"You come across as a handful," he stated.

She stared at him sternly. "Did you invite me here talk about the Akuma's or to interrogate me?"

He actually looked disappointed, but he did actually look serious in the next breath. "The Akuma. I just got a little ahead of myself."

She was relieved that his flirting was over and done with, for now at least. "Good," she stated.  "First off, what are your abilities?"

"Well, I'm very flexible," he stated, sending her a wink. She sighed heavily when he did this, knowing full well he was going to start flirting with her again. He pulled out of specter from behind her back that was long and thin with a curved end like many Egyptian scepters’. It was even stripped yellow and blue like many she had seen in artwork. "This extends."

He extended it, and it moved past her. He lightly pulled on the pole and it began to shrink back down again. The curved end caught her waist and he swiftly pulled her back towards him. He caught her, their faces only inches away from each other. "And it shrinks back of course." She glared at him, and pushed off of his chest, and backed away from him.

"That it?" she asked, sounding rather unimpressed. And she wasn’t.

"Why? Doesn't matter, no that's not all," he said, placing his scepters back in its place. "I also have an ability called Cataclysm. I've tried it on a rock by the river and a true. It breaks rocks, and rots trees."

She didn't want to say anything, but she was impressed by that last one. That could come in handy. "Can you see in the dark?"

He was surprised by her asking her this one, and he answered. "Actually, I can."

"Excellent," she stated. "That will come in handy for night time attacks. I'll need you to be my eyes."

He was studying her face. She felt instantly insecure. No one had taken an interest in her appearance like he had. She assumed it was because how much of a fine lady she looked in this form. She didn't like the attention.

"So, are we done?" she asked him when she turned to the edge of the roof, ready to leave. 

His eyes went wide. “Are we not going to see who’s behind these masks? Would it not be easier to know who the other is?"

Mazel had been warned about this possibility by Tikki. She shook her head. Tikki told her it was completely up to her if she wanted to reveal herself. She might have before he had started flirting with her, but he clearly had imagined her as a lady of the pharaoh's court. She was sure he'd be disappointed that she wasn't even really Egyptian, let alone a slave.

"Do you not trust me?" he asked.

 _'No,'_ she thought. She didn't know him. Not at all. He was a stranger to her. _"I'd rather us get to know each other first."_

"I don't care who you are. And I'll keep it secret," he replied.

"I care who I am," she expressed. "And that's a secret I can't afford to share."

She turned her back to him and walked to the edge of the temple's roof. She was going to jump this time. While looking back at him, she could see the dejected look in her eyes. "Give me time," she stated.  "Until next time, kitten."

She jumped off the roof, and escaped into the shadows of the city.

 

8 8 8

 

She was surprised when some called and shouted to the slaves that the field was cleared. She wiped her brow from sweat, and she looked at her sister with a smile. "Guess what that means?" she asked.

Her sister broke out into a smile. "The rest of the day off and an extra meal from master!"

Mazel nodded, as her sister excitedly began to dance around. She grabbed one side of the cart and began to pull it. Mazel could only enjoy her enthusiasm as she grabbed the other side and began to help her pull. After Mazel helped some of the other slaves pull their carts in to behind the house where it would be brought to the mill to be turned to flour, the slaves gathered in front of the master's home, where he was waiting for them.

Their master was wealthy, and dressed well. Wore fine jewels and had a large belly from all the heavy food's he ate. Despite his enjoyment of showing off his wealth, he was a nice enough master. He only gave out beatings when a slave broke one of his rules, which were fair. Respect the master and his family, respect his property, don't steal and don't run away. Mazel knew that his name was Shen, though everyone just called him master.

Shen came out and greeted them and thanked them for their hard work, and went on about the new God and Goddess who blessed the field with their presence. Mazel rolled her eyes. Then he had another slave pass out their extra meal. To Mazel's surprise it was half a loaf of bread and cheese.  It had been forever since they had cheese. She felt her mouth water at the sight, but she tried to not look as hungry as she actually was.

"Next, I have job's for everyone for the flooding season," Shen called to them.

First he called name for those who would be working in the city, rebuilding, repairing and doing basic labor. To her surprise, neither her, nor Elisheva had their name called. Mazel had never had her name not called for that job before. So she assumed that maybe she and Elisheva would be working in the fields, repairing the huts during the floods, doing the master's and families laundry and such. More names were called, and her heart raced. Neither's name was called again. Her sister glanced up at her, and she looked at her sister and shrugged and shook her head, letting her know that she didn't know what was going on.

"And you five remaining, you'll be working in the house, mainly in the kitchen," he pointed to those who weren't named. Mazel and Elisheva being one of them.

"You five, come with Kwamza into the house. You're new clothes are inside and he'll explain to you your jobs," Shen explained.

Mazel had seen and heard of Kwamza. He was an African slave who had been a slave since early childhood. And he worked by Master's side even longer then Mazel had been live. Despite his heritage, he had completely converted to the Egyptian lifestyle. He even had his ow room in the master's own home.

Mazel took Elisheva's hand and they followed the tall and muscular man. Mazel had never been inside the house before, and now she was in awe. High ceilings, tall pillars and decorative objects made of gold were everywhere. They were brought to a back room, where they were instructed to strip and bathe. Mazel was amazed at the large bath that was drawn and waiting for them.

Both girls and the other two women and the one man stripped from their heavy and uncomfortable deer skin loincloths. They climbed into the large bath tub and began to bathe. Elisheva was the most excited, Mazel thought. She had never taken a bath anywhere by the Nile before, and Elisheva avoided that at any cost.

Mazel used some of the soaps offered to her, and washed Elisheva hair and then her own. Se scrubbed her body and when done, they dried off using a large cloth of cotton. New dresses of white were waiting for the woman, and a plan cloth to wrap around the man in the style of a skirt was offered to the male slave.

They were given a moment to enjoy their bread and cheese now, before they were taken from the room, into the kitchen. They were given a tour of the house with the rooms they'd possibly be entering Mazel memorized every inch of the house she saw. Working in the house meant better pay, and a chance to for Elisheva's freedom. If she worked hard enough, perhaps she could work in the house full-time. 'That would buy her freedom faster for sure,' Mazel thought to herself.

They were taken back to the front entrance, where a small sitting area was. Sitting there now, reading a scroll was the master's son, Ammon. She didn't expect to see him there, but remaining silent and ignoring them was nothing new. She had never even heard him say a word aloud. She kept glancing at him, as she just kept sensing some sort of strange feel in the room. She saw him glance up and look right at the group, and then his gaze fell on her when he noticed her looking at him.

She snapped back, and looked forward. She was embarrassed that she had been caught staring. It was the first time the man had even seem to notice a slave's existence. Though his expression held no emotion or feelings. She exhaled sharply and tried to act as naturally as possibly. She would have to remember to not stare at him in the house, no matter how unusual he seemed to act at the time.

8 8 8

Ammon was sitting in the open sitting area. Plug was sitting on his lap, eating a small slice of cheese. Or rather he was eating it like his life depended on it. He was amused by the strange cat like creature's reaction to the peasant's food. Only minutes earlier he had offered a few slices to him as a means to dispose of them. Plug had remarked that he had never had cheese before, and now he was eating it down like a nectar of life.

Plug heard an approaching sound, and looked up then jumped out of sight. Ammon heard a group of people approaching and knew it was the new house slaves getting a tour. He didn't bother to look up and instead put his attention of his school. He didn't really care, so he didn't say anything bothered to look up.

Then he heard Plug from his hiding spot. He was whispering to himself clearly, but he still heard. "Tikki's nearby!"

He had heard the little kwami speak the name in his sleep. He had come to the conclusion that Tikki was another Kwami. So when he heard the whisper he looked up. He was honestly expecting to see a fine regal lady to match what he imagined the woman, Ladybug, to be. When he looked up though he only saw the tour. Slaves dressed in white. Not even Egyptian slaves. Though he noticed one who was looking right at him. He looked at her. He had seen her working the fields many times before, thought he didn't know her name. He didn't care to either. She looked away in embarrassment when she realized she had been caught looking at him.

He looked back down at Plug, "Is Tikki Ladybug's Kwami?"

Plug looked up from his hiding place and up at Ammon and nodded his head lightly. "So does that mean Ladybug is nearby?"

Plug shrugged. "Couldn't tell you. Tikki isn't that close nearby. Maybe a smile or two away."

'She could be a daughter of one of the other field owners,' Ammon thought. 'Most of them have hair in that style...but so does most of Memphis's ladies.'

Plug looked up at him and shook his head. Ammon caught the Kwami's disproving look and glared at him. "What?"

"You still insisting that you’re not interested in Ladybug? It’s amusing to me," Plug replied matter of factly. "I know you want to hunt her down."

"Why do you say that?"

Plug sent him a knowing smile. "Because every Chat Noir wants to hunt Ladybug down. And every Ladybug evades. You won't find her until she wants to be found."

Ammon refused to be compared to dead heroes of the past on this matter. He was no love sick fool, and he certainly didn't love her. In fact, he didn't know the girl. He just liked getting a reaction out of her. He was fascinated by her bravery in battle, and the amazing gifts she had been bestowed. If anything he admired her.

Ammon playfully flicked the back of Plug’s head, which made Plug hiss in annoyance. Ammon could only lightly chuckle. "Well, we'll just see," Ammon laughed.


	4. The Beginning of the New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its the Egyptian New Year, and a new Akuma shows up to seek revenge at the palace.

The Nile was flooding the fields very well. The new rich and fertile soil was spilling over the fields, bettering the ground for planting come three months from now. And the cycle of growing wheat and working the fields would repeat itself. Mazel welcomed the new year that came with the flooding. It meant that she had survived a year on the fields, and was another year closer to buying Elisheva's freedom.

And as the two sisters, dressed in their new white dresses left their hut, Mazel left, perhaps with a lighter load on her shoulders. She had always felt such a weight on her shoulders, protecting her sister and raising her in the place of their parents. She had given up any hope for a normal childhood and had essentially become a mother to her sister. She took full responsibility for Elisheva and even gladly took any whippings, so as long as her sister was safe and happy.

So this morning, when she felt less pressure, and perhaps a little excitement, she actually smiled down at her sister. Not a fake smile to trick her sister into thinking she was happy, but an actual smile. Working in the house meant a lot more than just more pay, it meant that the master would take closer to notice of any health concerns, and better food. The thought of her being able to afford more food, not only for Elisheva and actually herself, excited her.

"Hurry," Mazel told her sister. Elisheva reached for her sister's hand and Mazel took it, and began to pull her along to the back of the house. They hurried along, and followed the others into the back of the house. Once they were inside, Mazel bowed her head to the head kitchen servant, an elderly Egyptian woman named Akela. She had met her briefly the day before. Elisheva followed suit and bowed her head. Mazel released her sisters hand and waited for Akela to hand out chores.

She turned to Mazel first. "Do you know how to bake bread, Mazel was it?"

"Yes, and yes," she replied.

Akela looked down at Elisheva. "Do you know how to bake beard."

Elisheva shook her head. Mazel, protective of her sister, and not wanting to leave her side jumped in. "I can teach her, Akela."

Akela was from what Mazel could tell quick witted and very serious about her job. Mazel didn't want to leave Elisheva alone with her, but she also didn't want to go against orders from the person in charge of her in the house. To her relief, Akela nodded. "Yes, teach her. At dinner tonight I expect her to be able to cook bread by herself."

"Y-yes!" Mazel stated. "How many loaf's do you want made?"

"We need thirty-eight right now, before the master gets up. At lunch we'll need another thirty-eight, and by dinner we'll need about fifty some for the celebrations."

"Yes, thank you," Mazel bowed her head, and turned back to outside. Elisheva was right behind her. She was shocked at how many loaf's they needed to make, and walked with Mazel as she gasped by this.

"Why so much bread?" Elisheva asked her sister as they reached the outside kitchen. Mazel began to prepare some of the bowls and such.

"We're feeding all of the slaves this morning, the servants and master and his family," Mazel explained. "Our bread in the mornings is made fresh by the kitchen staff. And that's our job today."

"Ohhhh," Elisheva stated, surprised by this news. "I thought it was made and sold in the marketplace and brought here."

"Oh no, that's very expensive," Mazel explained. "We grind the wheat in the kitchen to make flour, and we bake it. The extra is sold in market, but some of it is to feed the workforce."

Mazel gathered a few large clay bowls and laid them out. There were clay jars that were filled with flour and yeast nearby. Mazel began to explain to Elisheva what they would be doing. She explained about how much flour to add per loaf, and how much yeast, and then the water. Mazel explained how they mixed them together and showed her how to shape the dough with their hands. They put them in small clay pans, and over the large outdoor oven to cook. Elisheva asked many questions and was shown how to do the things she asked about. Finally, the first batch was done.

"Great timing," Mazel explained! "The sun is coming up, the master will be awake soon."

Using some clothes, Mazel and Elisheva carefully took the bread out one by one. They spread them out over a stone table and let the air cool them. Once they were all laid out, Mazel reached for a large basket and placed it with the table. She explained that they had to let the bread cool a little before they could pull them out. Elisheva listened with interest. After enough time, and while using the clothes, Mazel lifted the pans one by one and flipped them over, letting the bread fall out into the basket. Elisheva joined in, and the two girls quickly were able to fill two baskets full of bread. Mazel took the heavier one inside and Elisheva took the lighter one.

Akela seemed surprised and glad when the two girls entered the kitchen. While the other slaves had prepared the fruits and such, they had prepared the bread, which was the mainstay of most local meals. It was a very important job, even if Elisheva hadn't realized this. "I'm impressed," Akela stated. "First day in the kitchen, and you're done right on time."

"Thank you," Mazel beamed.

Elisheva was smiling from ear to ear. "Mazel taught me well. I promise to do great tonight."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Akela stated. She knelt down to Elisheva's level and sent her a smile. "Would you like to bring that out to the table? Kwamza is waiting out there for the rest of the food. He'll help you set up."

"O-okay!" Elisheva was still smiling and seemed pretty happy about the chore. Though Mazel was happy for her, she felt a little bit of anxiety about being separated from her sister for work related stuff. The two always worked together, and Mazel always took the punishment if anything went wrong. If they were separated, it wasn't like she could do that for her sister. Even so, Mazel held her tongue and didn't say a word. "What would you like from me?" Mazel asked.

"Well, since your done baking, why don't you take the morning bread out to the huts," Akela stated.

"Of course," Mazel stated. She turned and picked up the second basket of bread, and headed back outside. She quickly moved from hut to hut and passed the bread out to the slaves. One loaf per slave, just as it had always been. She had several loaf's left over and she knew they were for the kitchen staff, so she returned to the kitchen and placed the basket down on the table. She noticed right away that all of the servants and slaves were sitting around the kitchen, eating. She placed the basket down, and they dug into the bread. She found a seat next to her sister, who was eating a melon. A rare treat for them. She was offered one by Elisheva right away, and she gladly ate it. The sweet juices filled her mouth, and the flavour almost overwhelmed her. It had been almost a year since she had tasted a melon. She judged by her sister's silence, and the way she happily ate her melon that she did good at her job. Mazel felt proud of her younger sister, and felt relief come over her. Today was going to be a good day. What a great new year it was going to be!

 

8 8 8

 

Ammon disliked the new year celebrations. It was just like every other celebration. Lots of wine, fine foods, and lots of drunk relatives and guests. And at the palace, this was only multiplied. He found it all so boring. Though he liked the fine wines that he uncle served, it was barely worth the hassle to Ammon. He would have much rather to be home studying his scrolls. Scroll's that he had taken a great interest in since the false goddess Tefnut had attacked. Ladybug had defeated the false goddess easily with her knowledge of stories about the god's. He had heard many stories, and knew his god's well, but his interest had increased. To the point where Ammon was brushing up on his readings now.

Leaving for this party, was only distracting him from such studies now. The only amusement he thought he might have, was from Plagg, who was peeking out from his wig every so often asking if there would be more cheese for him to snack on. Ammon whispered to the kwami that there was unlikely to be any cheese at the palace being served. Plagg whined in disappointment, but he did his best to not be too laugh. This resulted in a low laugh from Ammon.

He was with his father, who walked just a few feet in front of him. He was talking to Kwamza in an excited tone about what he was going to tell the Pharaoh about Ladybug and Chat Noir and the saving the wheat, and the miracles of the Goddess Ladybug. It brought some amusement to Ammon at least.

His thoughts were brought back to his mysterious partner. Ladybug, the girl with the power of miracles. He knew she was no goddess, but the power she had used to defeat the false goddess and the return to Nile and the fields to what they were before the chaos was nothing short of amazing. He could name at least two gods that would be jealous of such power. Even he was jealous of such power. And yet, she didn't brag about it, or show off. She used it only as needed and didn't think of it as anything specular. (Which it was)

He wondered who she was. She was so graceful and beautiful. He could only imagine her as a lady of the courts. And as such, he wished she would be attending the festivities tonight. If she was, then it would be nice to spend some time with her. Get to know his partner better. Though the thought only made him frown. She didn't want to know who he was, and she didn't want him to know who she was. She wanted to work together to free the Akuma, and that was it.

She was treating this as a work relationship. This thought disappointed him. They were given these powers by the gods. Their abilities were god-like. They were god-like. So why wouldn't she jump at the chance to get to know her partner?

His attention was drawn back to his father, who was greeting his brother. Ammon turned to a royal slave, who passed him a goblet of wine. He decided to put the negative thoughts aside. If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well enjoy the wine.

 

8 8 8

 

Mazel could hear the street's being filled with the sounds of music and loud partying. She was at home with her sister Elisheva, tucking her into bed. They were forbidden to leave the property this year, as they were house slaves and needed to stay near the house in case of emergencies. Elisheva was very disappointed about this, but Mazel didn't mind. She never liked the crowds much.

They had a great meal of bread, as the master and his family were eating at the palace.  Two loaf's tonight. Mazel had snuck the second loaf of hers to Tikki, who gladly ate it. Once Elisheva was asleep, the two exited the hut, and Mazel sat down, completely exhausted. Though she knew she would be unable to sleep. She could rarely sleep a full night. Tikki asked Mazel questions about the house, and so Mazel answered the questions to the curious kwami.

"How did your sister do making the bread?" Tikki asked.

"She did great. She's a fast learner," Mazel explained. "Just like my father. He learned very fast. He could read about how to do something, and then he could do it."

"So, both his daughters took after him?" Tikki gasped.

Mazel chuckled and then followed that with a yawn. "Yeah, I guess so. For me though, the idea of avoiding being whipped is a pretty god reason to do well at my work."

Tikki flew around to Mazel's back. The slave girl was now dressed in her loincloth, and her back was bare. Tikki looked at her scar's that covered the girl's back. "When was the last time you were whipped?"

Mazel suddenly very self-conscious of the scar's that littered her back, pressed her back up against her hut, hiding the scar's from Tikki's view. "Right before the new year last year. Been a year. I use to get whipped at least twice a year."

Tikki landed on the girl's shoulder and looked up at her with her sad eyes. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Mazel asked as she lifted the little kwami from her shoulder and held her in her cupped hands. "You had nothing to do with why I was punished."

"I know...I just feel awful that it happened to you at all. Mazel I-"

There was the sound of a large building collapsing, and that was followed by screams. Mazel stood to her feet and looked at Tikki. "Tikki, transform me!"

With a flash of light, Mazel was transformed and, and she right away was running towards the city. She leapt and climbed to the roof of the first house she could. She stared on over the city, and found near the city center there was smoking rising and that was where most of the screams was coming from. A breeze picked up, and blew some of the smoke away, revealing to Mazel a figure floating in the smoke, peering down at the city.

She was a tall woman, who had blue wings, straight without any curves and had gold trim on the top part of the wings. Her hair was black and shoulder length, in the same style as Mazel's own hair. On top of her hair, in her hair, was a blue feather, and Mazel realized she was looking at the exact image of Ma'at, goddess of Justice.

"Another one?" she gasped. She was so surprised that there was another Akuma attacking the city, but under the guise of a goddess of Egypt. She took out the yo-yo and threw it, attaching it to a nearby tree, and she leapt off the roof and swung to another. And then another. She continued this as she neared the city center.

Ma'at was flying around, appearing to throw some objects around the city. Mazel hurried and did what she could to reach the akuma. She landed nearby the first building that she saw had actually collapsed. Mazel realized quickly that it was the court's. And nearby was the punisher's block, where many people were sentenced to death. It was crumbled and in pieces. Many people were running through the street's and crying for help.

Mazel looked up, and stared at the goddess, and finally she noticed the hero below her. She swung her wing's at Mazel, and quickly Mazel noticed what she was throwing. Feather's. She dodged them, just as they landed at her feet. They were thick, hard like stone, and sharp. They easily sliced through the roof of the house, leaving melon sized holes in the roof. Mazel's eyes went wide. That wasn't good. One slice from that could easily kill her.

She tried to keep her eyes on Ma'at, even as she landed with a thud on the same roof. She was glaring at Mazel with such anger. "Give me your miraculous stones," she hissed. "A false goddess like you doesn't need such power."

Mazel had heard Tikki explain to her once that the beads on her necklace was actual an object called a Miraculous stone, a stone that could create miracles and was the key to Mazel's power. She was told to never give the power up, that while the stone gave her the ability to fight the Akuma it was possibly also a target of her enemy. And while it could create miracles, it could also create chaos if the user so desired. Mazel knew she had to defend such power with her very life.

"Look who’s talking, Ma'at," Mazel sneered at the false goddess. "I never claimed to be a goddess, but you, you're causing destruction all while pretending to be the goddess of justice."

"I AM THE GODDESS OF JUSTICE! I WILL GET JUSTICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WRONGED!" Ma'at screamed at Mazel. She threw more of the deadly feather's at Mazel, and she dodged them, this time jumping off of the roof, and into the street's. There was a lot of smoke and dust from the mud brick building collapsing, and the smoke from torches burning  and catching nearby tree's and other object's on fire. She used this smoke as cover and ran into the smoke to hide.

She could see people screaming and running in every direction. Utter chaos was everywhere. More feather's flew through the smoke, and Mazel watched as they were thrown randomly in all directions. Clearly Ma'at didn't know where she was exactly. She could use that to her advantage, but as she glanced around, she saw bodies on the ground. The feather's sticking into them. That was less of an advantage. Innocent people were getting hit. She bit her lip. She could hide in the cover of the smoke and come up with a plan, and more people could be hurt, or killed. Or she could lead her away to a more secluded area. She had no idea what to do.

The sound of another body hitting the ground, and more pieces of houses falling off, brought her back to reality. She couldn't be a coward. She ran down a few more blocks and then leapt to the roof of a building. She used her yo-yo, throwing it in Ma'at's direction, and wrapping it around one of her wings. She tugged on it hard, and pulled the goddess down, crashing her into the ground. Mazel grinned in triumph. She tugged on the yo-yo's rope and pulled, dragging the goddess along the ground. She could hear her cries in protest, angry and hurt.

Just like Tikki had told her, the possessed had a lot of emotional distress and sometimes that would come through. Tikki explained that she should use this as clue’s and hints to how to defeat them, or which object held the Akuma. Though she couldn't make out any words at this time. Mazel tried to bring Ma'at in, but she had pushed off the ground, and was in the air once again. This brought Mazel up with her. She knew instantly that Ma'at was trying to throw her off, but Mazel held on. She wrapped the yo-yo's sting around her hand an began to climb up the sting, pulling herself closer and closer to Ma'at. When close enough she reached out, and grabbed at Ma'at. She ended up grabbing one of her wings. It instantly cut the palm of her hand, but she didn't let go, she instead pulled at the wing, forcing Ma'at to change direction.

'Got to get her away from the city,' Mazel though. 'If I can get her to the other side of the Nile, maybe I can take advantage of the sand and water.'

She pulled hard on the wing, turning her away from the city. What she didn't count on was Ma'at suddenly spinning her around, hard in mid-air, and forcing Mazel to roll off of her. She slipped off, and she was holding onto for dear life once again. Even worse though was they were aiming directly for the palace now. This was the worst thing ever. So many guards, people of importance, and a lot of alcohol because of the celebrations. This could be a disaster.

In horror, just as they reached the palace, the yo-yo was finally cast free from the wing, and Mazel began to free fall to the ground below. She easily used the yo-yo to grab onto a statue, and she repelled down. Barely on the ground, more feathers were thrown at her.

She began to run, and was in a panic now, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She cut into the palace, hoping to take advantage of the large walls and small space. It didn't take her long though to run into someone though. She froze and her eyes went wide when she saw that it was none other than her masters son, Ammon. He seemed just as surprised to run into her.

The sound of Ma'at landing with another heavy thud brought her back to reality. She turned and faced the false goddess. She began to throw daggers at Mazel, and instinct kicked in. She began to spin the yo-yo around, creating a shield. And to her glee, the feathers were bounced away. She held her arm out, between her and Ammon, taking a protective stance. "You need to get out of here," she told him. "Get the pharaoh out of here. It’s dangerous."

Ammon said no words, which didn't surprise her. He was a man of few words. He did leave though, and that left her alone with the Akuma. And with her yo-yo having a new purpose. This trick would come in handy. "I just want justice," Ma'at cursed Mazel. "You're getting in the way of that, Ladybug."

"Justice for what," Mazel asked. She kept spinning the yo-yo around trying to protect herself just in case she attacked again.

"Far too long has there been injustice, too many innocence put to death," she shot at Ladybug. "Just today a man was put to death for doing nothing more trying to feed a starving child."

Mazel knew instantly this Goddess was related to the man, and was probably the mother of this child. While theft was punishable by death, Mazel knew herself many of these deaths were by starving poor people. She felt instant pity for the woman. "He shouldn't have been put to death."

"Then you agree!" Ma'at lit up. "Use the Miraculous stone to bring him back!"

Mazel shook her head. "I don't have the power to bring people back from the dead. The power doesn't work that way."

This brought back the anger to the goddess quickly, and before Mazel had a chance to react, Ma'at came at her, flying, and smashing into her, and with a force Mazel had never known, she was thrown through a wall. She thanked Tikki in her mind for the power she had, for with it, she would be dead. She coughed as dust filled her lungs. She quickly climbed to her feet, and found herself in a large, glorious room, filled with people. Not just any people, but the most important of important people of Memphis. She glanced around, and spotted the Pharaoh. Instinct made her want to bow as she would for anyone of importance. Instead she looked around, and began to talk to the people. "You need to evacuate now!"

Before she could explain, a feather flew past her, this one slicing a deep gash in her arm. She yelped as she slice at her arm. She turned back to her enemy, who was in the same room as her now. Though, now Ma'at was less interested in Ladybug, and her gaze was fixed on the Pharaoh. A dark grin fell over her lips. "Oh, just the person I wanted to see."

Mazel leapt back, and stood protectively in front of the Pharaoh. "You will not hurt him."

Mazel saw with great relief Chat Noir finally show up. He snuck up behind Ma'at and with his staff, wack the false goddess on the side of the head, knock her to the ground. He grinned at Ladybug. "Can't let you have all the fun."

"You're late," Mazel lectured him. "People were killed in the city."

Chat Noir could only sent her a flirty smile. "It's new year’s, I had things to do, people to see. Though seeing you is arguably a much better than whatever I was doing."

"Distract her!" Mazel cried as Ma'at began to rise to her feet. She threw her yo-yo into the air, shouting out. "Lucky Charm!"

Chat Noir did as he was asked, and he easily distracted Ma'at by attacking her again. The two began a struggle, with Chat Noir clearly amused by the turn of events. While this happened, Ladybug's lucky charm dropped an ostrich plume into her hands. She stared at it, unsure what she was supposed to do with it. Her mind raced as she tried to think back to the Egyptian stories she heard as a child here. She peered around, and her eyes fell on the blue feather on Ma'at's head. "That's it!"

She quickly jumped into action, and jumped in between Chat Noir and Ma'at. She quickly bowed to Ma'at and held the ostrich feather out to the goddess. Ma'at froze instantly. "You've been wronged, and for that I am sorry beyond words," Mazel stated. "As such, I am offering this gift of this feather to the wronged party. While it won't bring him back, it will be a symbol of the wrong."

Ma'at's eyes began to water, as she slowly reached for the feather. Chat Noir must have gotten what Ladybug was doing, and he too bowed. Mazel glanced around, and to her surprise, found everyone in the room too bowing. Ma'at looked around, tears falling down her cheeks. Then she turned to Ladybug and she fell to her knees and bowed her head. "L-Ladybug, I am not worthy of such kindness."

Mazel rose to her feet, and reached down, and grabbed the blue feather that rest on Ma'at's head. She picked it up. "You are worthy." She snapped the feather in half, and the black butterfly began to fly free. Mazel took her yo-yo and used it to capture the Akuma. She purified it, and released it. "And you are free now." She reached for the ostrich feather and threw it into the air. "Miraculous cure!"

With a flash, all the destruction, and the possessed was fixed. Mazel looked around, smiling. She looked at the woman. A young peasant girl. She was crying, and Mazel gave her the blue feather that was once possessed and handed it to her. "You were wronged, and for that, I am sorry, but you have a child at home who need's their mother."

The woman was still crying, and nodded her head, bowing in respect of Ladybug. Mazel rose to her feet and looked back at Chat Noir, who was smiling at her. "That was pretty specular, Lady Goddess."

"Thank you," she smiled at him. "Good job sneaking in, Kitten."

She glanced around at the party and was about to speak to the Pharaoh about the woman, but to her surprise, everyone was still bowing. She seemed surprised. "You can all rise now, the danger is over." No one moved, and Mazel felt her heart rate quicken. "You don't need to bow."

She glanced back at Chat Noir, who seemed amused by the scene before him. He motioned for her to follow, but before she did, she turned back to the Pharaoh. "This woman was a victim, and Ma'at possessed her to show us that. Do not punish her."

Then she followed Chat Noir who brought her outside, where the two climbed to the roof of the palace. Chat Noir turned to her. "I'm very impressed. Especially by the kindness you showed that peasant woman."

"Everyone deserves kindness," she told him. "Even peasants." She noticed as his eyes actually went wide by her words. "We're all humans, and showing kindness to each other once in a while isn't a bad thing. Try it sometime, you might be surprised."

Her choker began to beep, telling her that she needed to untransform soon. She waved him a good bye, and left, jumping down into the city street's and disappearing once again.

 

8 8 8

 

The next morning, Mazel was the one to bring the bread to the dining room. They were a little slower today, as Elisheva was the one to make the bread that day while Mazel supervised. Still, they were on time. She rushed from the kitchen out to the dining room, where Kwamza was waiting, and helping another servant serve out the fruits for breakfast. Mazel began to place the bread on the table, when she heard her younger sister enter the room. Elisheva was carrying a jug of water. As she hurried though, she tripped on the long dress that was honestly a little long for her.

Mazel gasped as she watched her sister begin to tumble down to the ground. Mazel moved to try and catch her sister, though someone else had that idea, and they caught her inside. She thought it was another servant. Mazel rushed to her sister's side, and looked at the servant to thank them, though, it wasn't a servant. Or another slave. Her mouth hung open as she came to eye level contact with Ammon. She quickly closed her mouth, and glanced away and bowed her head. She uttered a thanks under her breath.

"Are you alright little one?" she heard him speak. She had never heard his voice before. It was quite but sounded kind.

"Y-yes," Elisheva stated. He helped straight her up, and lifted the jug of water, and placed it on its usual spot on the table. He looked back down at her, and then at her dress.

 "It’s pretty big on you, isn't it?"

"Y-yes," she answered, her head still bowed low.

He nodded. "I'll talk to my father about getting that fixed. Are you hurt?"

"No," Elisheva stated. "I'm fine."

"Well that's good at least," Ammon spoke. "Well, go enjoy your breakfast then."

"Thank y-you," Elisheva whispered and lifted her dress and hurried back into the kitchen.

Mazel kept her head bowed and hurried back to the kitchen herself. All while her heart raced in her chest. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. What the heck had gotten into the young master?


	5. Her Purity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ammon overhears his father speaking to Mazel about her paying off her sister's debt, and finds it incredibly noble, and wishes to help her pay off her debt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms:
> 
> Central room: A room in the center of the house. Often had family alters to honor dead family members and the gods. It was basically a living room.  
> Laundering Bat: Used to beat the ever loving crap out of clothes! Or dirt...whatever you prefer. Basically used to wash clothing.

Chapter 4

The last of the clay dishes were cleaned, and put away for the night. The evening drinks were served to master and his family, and many of the slaves were leaving for the night. Elisheva had already left, running around proudly in her newly hemmed dress. Ammon kept his word, and that morning, Elisheva was asked to visit the master. Mazel was panicked with her sister leaving her side, but within an hour, Elisheva returned to the kitchen to show her newly hemmed dress, and her second dress that was also hemmed.

Mazel herself was finishing up scrubbing up the last of the kitchen, when Akela came in and greeted her. Mazel turned to her, and smiled at the elderly woman. "Good evening," Mazel greeted. 

"Good evening," Akela greeted the younger girl. "Master sent me, he wishes to speak to you."

"Oh?" Mazel asked, quickly putting down the rag she had. She wiped her hands on the sides of her dress, and looked at Akela with as serious of a look as she could. "Where is the master?"

"He's in the central room enjoying his evening wine," Akela told her. "It shouldn't take long, so when you’re done, go home and get some rest."

"Thank you," Mazel bowed her head, and walked past the head of the kitchen, moving into the central room. She saw the master sitting in what she learned was his favorite chair. It was made out of wood, and padded pillows. Laid across it was expensive animal skins from far to the south. She bowed as soon as she was in his eye line. Though she didn't glance over, she did notice Shen's mistress sitting in a corner, sipping her evening wine and was reading a scroll. She also noticed Ammon, who was also reading a scroll and enjoying a glass of wine.

"Ahh, Mazel," she heard her master address her. "Right on time."

She glanced up at her master and smiled at him. "I came as soon as Akela told me you wished to see me."

She felt very unconfident by this sudden visit with her master. She was never called to see him unless she was in trouble. She had the scars as proof. Though through this, she did everything she could to try and sound as confident and sure as she could.

"That's right, I did send for you," he stated. "I wish to talk to you about your work."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened to her master speak. He had used these exact words to her moments before she was dragged from the fields to the beating stone. There she was tied to the rock, and whipped as punishment. "Yes, Master." It was all she was able to muster out.

"I am happy to say, there has been no issues with you this year. None at all," he stated. "Which is why I put you in the kitchen this year. Akela tells me that you’re thriving."

"T-thank you, master," Mazel stated, her eyes were a little wide, but she looked down to the ground, thankful that her master couldn't see the look on her face.

"I also hear that you have worked out a savings plan with my accountant, paying your debt off," Shen stated. "Buying your freedom I assume."

"N-no, master," she told him. "I'm paying for my sister's freedom."

There was silence in the room. Mazel didn't dare look up at her master, scared to see what the look on his face was. Her heart was now beating against her rib cage and she was scared out of her mind. What was her master thinking? She suddenly heard the sound of parchment shifting and her eyes travelled to the source, where she made eye contact with Ammon. He had bent his scroll back, and was looking at her, a look of surprise read across his face. She looked away, unsure of what she could say. Finally her master began to laugh to himself, then he addressed her.

"Mazel! That's so incredibly noble," Shen stated. "And a first. And what would you do about your own freedom."

"I-I'll buy it back someday, perhaps," Mazel explained. "My sister though, she is so sweet and innocent, she deserves a life of freedom."

"Well, keep of the good work," Shen ordered her. "Do that, and you'll both be free before you know it."

"Yes, master," Mazel answered.

Mazel rose to her feet and bowed to her master and left the central room. Her heart was still racing in her chest. She had no idea how she was supposed to react to her master and his words. It was the kindest he had ever been to her.

 

8 8 8

 

Ammon barely noticed when the slave girl entered the room. It wasn't like they didn't enter and leave the rooms he was in all the time. He could faintly hear his father and the girl speaking to each other. He tried to tune them out as he read his scrolls, trying to study up on more legends to help against the Akuma fights. He picked up his goblet of wine every so often and sipped from it.

Though he was finding the task a little boring. After an entire day of studying his attention was starting to lose focus. So when he heard his father speak, his attention was drawn away from the scroll.

"I also hear that you have worked out a savings plan with my accountant, paying your debt off," Shen stated. "Buying your freedom I assume."

He had heard his father speak many times about servants paying off their debt and buying their freedom. Or many trying to. Many couldn't because the cost of food came out of their pay. It was of some interest to him, because a slave was actually doing it.

"N-no, master," he heard the slave reply. "I'm paying for my sister's freedom."

Had Ammon heard that correctly? A slave was buying someone else's freedom. He pulled the scroll back, and looked at the girl who was bowing to his father. He had seen this girl may times outside. The same one he saw the day the new house slaves were brought in. And the other day when he helped the child slave to her feet in the dining room. She had rushed to the girl's side.

Right away, pieces fell into place in his head. The child slave was this girl's sister. He couldn't help but study the girl. Small, petite, but clearly underweight, likely from her slave diet. Her hair was a lighter color of brown, and was shoulder length. A style common with girls of the region. Her skin was darker, but a lighter tone than his own skin. He could see around the back of her dress on her back a few scar's peeking out. There was actually nothing particularly special about her. She looked much like any other girl he had seen, but yet, hearing her words kept his eyes on her.

Then she turn her gaze to him. He was a little surprised that she was looking at him, but he didn't look away. How could he? He was surprised to see so much emotion held in her brown eyes as they looked at him. Surprise, embarrassment, confusion and maybe something else. He was trying to put his finger on it, until she sharply drew away, looking down at the titled floor.

"Mazel! That's so incredibly noble," Shen stated. "And a first. And what would you do about your own freedom."

"I-I'll buy it back someday, perhaps," she explained. "My sister though, she is so sweet and innocent, she deserves a life of freedom."

Ammon was still looking at her, thought he was blinking quickly in shock at what he thought he had just heard. He never thought that he would ever hear of such incredible kindness, especially from a slave. He had seen them being treated in the worse ways, and many ran away or paid off their debts and left. This girl was choosing to stay in slavery so a child could be free. Not even her child, but a sibling.

"Well, keep of the good work," Shen ordered her. "Do that, and you'll both be free before you know it."

"Yes, master," the girl answered. She stood to her feet and bowed her head once again, and then left the central room. Ammon was at a loss of words. True that he preferred to not speak often, but he could barely put together any thoughts. Ammon quickly rolled his scroll up, and grabbed his goblet. He swallowed the last of his fruit wine and drank it down. He placed the goblet down on the end table next to his chair, and while still holding his scroll, he hurried to his room. When in there, he removed his wig and tossed it aside. That left Plagg who was lying flat on his head. His green eyes looked down at Ammon.

"That girl," Plagg stated. "She's got herself a pure heart." He sat up on Ammon's head and then began to float around the room, watching Ammon, who placed the scroll back on his shelf with the others. "It’s so rare to find someone like that around."

 _'That's true,'_ Ammon told himself. He had read hundreds of legends and such from his own faith, and even the gods were far from that pure. "I wonder what Ladybug would think about this girl."

"Ladybug?" Plagg asked, chuckling. "She'd jump through hoops if it would help the girl."

Ammon looked up at the kwami. "Why do you say that?"

Plagg looked at Ammon with amusement. "Because the Ladybug's chosen are just like that too. Willing to go to great lengths to help others. Just as all Chat Noir's are a little cocky and have an ego."

Ammon was insulted by Plagg's words, but he knew it was true. He couldn't help it though if he was chosen to become Chat Noir. It wasn't his fault he was the only one capable of becoming a hero of Egypt. If the God's wanted him to be this hero, then he would be the very best he could be. It was his destiny.

"Well then," Ammon finally spoke after pacing the room for a few minutes. "I'll help this girl reach her goal faster."

Plagg blinked, confused by what Ammon was saying, but Ammon ignored the kwami and left his bedroom once again and headed back to the central room. He rounded the corner in a jog, and went he entered the room he addressed his father.

"Father!"

Shen jumped with a start, and looked back at his son, expecting there to be something seriously wrong. "Ammon! What is it?"

"That girl," Ammon stated. "Who was just here? Who is she?"

Shen seemed confused as to why he son was suddenly interested in a slave girl. He had never taken interest in the slaves at all before, and now it was twice in two days. Shen gave his son a look. "That was Mazel, a Hebrew slave. Why are so suddenly so interested?"

"I'm just impressed with her is all," Ammon explained. "You don't see someone like that every day. She's literally giving her life of freedom up for another."

Shen seemed even more confused by his son, but he also seemed surprised. His son had never shown interest in anything ever before. "I would agree," Shen replied. "And what is it you wish to say or do about this?"

"I wish to ask you father to make her my house slave, after the flooding season and the extra house slaves return to the fields," Ammon explained.

Ammon could swear his father looked like he was going to die from shock. "You refused every house slave," Shen stated. It was a fact. As a child Ammon hated having slaves follow him around all day, he preferred to be by himself.

"Yes, I know father," Ammon stated. "But should not such a girl be rewarded. If she worked for me personally, she'd get better pay. Would she not be able to reach her personal goal faster?"

Shen looked away from his son, and looked down, becoming quiet as he thought to himself. Ammon waited for his father speak up, but out of respect he let his father think to himself. "Do you really wish for this girl to work for you? Not because you want to help her, do you really want her help? That is my only concern. You've always been independent and always did everything yourself."

That was true. Ammon never even let the slaves touch anything in his room beside getting his laundry and perhaps changing his bedsheets. Besides that, he didn't let the slaves do anything in his room, let alone anything for him.

"Father, I will find work for her. She'll help me with the accounts that I've taken over for you recently. She'll bring me food and drink when I'm working late in the office. She'll run messages for me to the market and palace. Run other errands for me. I'm busier now that I am learning the business from you father."

Shen sighed and looked at his son. "Alright," he stated. "But she must maintain a good work ethic until then. Any slip ups from her, and she'll be right back on the fields."

Ammon nodded at his father. "Yes father, I'll address it with her in the morning."

 

8 8 8

 

Mazel sat down at the Nile edge, placing her basket of laundry down beside her. There was only a few articles of clothing. Most Mazel and Elisheva's white dresses for while inside the house. She took one out at a time, and placed one dress in the shallow water. She took out a small bar of soap from the basket and began to rub it against the dress. She began to sud the dress up good and well. Then with a few flicks of her wrists she rolled the dress into a tight roll, and rung some of the soapy water out of the dress. She placed the dress down on a rock nearby.

She reached into the basket and pulled out a short club like object. She began to lightly beat at the rolled up dress up against the dress. She would flip the dress around in different directions and beat at the dress. Then she placed the dress in the water and unrolled it, letting the soap escape into the water, where she let the dress rinse clean. She was about to pull the dress up out of the water when she noticed something in the water a few feet away from her. She stared at it for a moment, not sure what it was.

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't a log like she thought for a moment. Not after she saw it blink. She gasped and shifted to jump away from the water's edge. It was too late, the crocodile was too close, and it lept out of the water at Mazel.

Luckily it missed her limbs, but it did catch the long white dress that she was still wearing. She felt the large animal began to try and pull her in. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Fear and panic overcame her. She tried to reach for the laundering bat that she had been using, but with a powerful thrust from the crocodile, she was pulled further into the water. The power from the thrust flipped her over, twisting her dress. She panicked as the twist in her dress acted as a shackle and she couldn't move her feet more than a few centimeters.

The reptile pulls her in deeper into the water, and she is now up to her chin in water. She knew that it was dragging her out to give her a death spin. If it did that she would drown and die. She let out another scream, crying for help from anyone who could possibly save her. She was so scared. She didn't want to die. She desperately tried to reach for some tall grass that was in the water with her, but it easily broke under her grasp.

She heard splashing just as she was pulled under the water. She screamed under the water, but only bubbles escaped. Though she does hear a voice, and its screaming something from the top of their lungs. She can see someone's legs in the water, and they reach over and grab hold of her and they easily pull her up, even as they are pulled against the crocodile. Just enough for her to break the surface and gasp for air. Also just in time to see a golden clawed hand pass her and reach for the crocodile. The hand touched the animal, and Mazel watched and gasped as she realized that it was Chat Noir. He was reaching past her and was touching the crocodile who had suddenly released Mazel, and its mouth was wide open.

When Chat Noir touched it though, it froze, and suddenly its mouth went from a dark green and brown color, to just black. Her eyes went wide as the entire animal turned the black color, and then, it began to fall to pieces. She gasped as she watched the animal literally riot away in front of her into nothing but a muddy mess in the water.

She had no time to take it in, as suddenly she was up in Chat Noir's arms. He had lifted her into his arms and was carrying her out of the Nile River. When they were several feet from the river's edge, he set her down, and knelt down and began to check for any wounds. She shook her head. "I-I'm not hurt."

She was soaking wet, and her dress was clinging to her body. She felt pretty embarrassed and strange sitting in front of her partner as herself. It made her feel naked. And it wasn't because her white dress was clinging to her body and had rendered it basically see through. Nudity wasn't something that the Egyptian's were bothered by. It was because she didn't know if he could look at her and recognize who she was.

"You're dress is torn up though," he stated. He reached out and touched the material, and showed it to her. It was ripped pretty badly on the side up to her knee. She didn't like that it was ripped. She'd have to pay a weaver to replace the dress. And that could be expensive. Perhaps she could get away with only one dress until she could put more money aside and save up for one.

"It's fine," she replied to him. "Thank you for saving me."

He flashed her a smile. One she had seen every time she had seen Chat Noir. He walked past her and walked over to her laundry basket and gathered up her things for her. And then he turned back to her. He was still smiling. "It's what I do."

She was stunned by the simple act. She stepped forward for the laundry basket. "Y-you don't need to!"

He turned away from her and didn't let her take the basket. "Now, now. You were nearly dinner. I'm not letting you carry this."

"B-but-"

He chuckled at her, and it shut her up. Strange that as a civilian she was a lot less bold around him. She felt every bit like a slave, and it actually scared her a little. "That's an order from the god standing in front of you."

She wanted to roll her eyes, or she would have if she was Ladybug. As the slave girl, Mazel, she did nothing except nod. He was already heading back to the small courtyard where Mazel's hut was. She hurried to keep up with him. As they walked, she could see some of the people outside their hut's stop and freeze. They stared, shocked to see Chat Noir approaching. Some of them fell to the ground, bowing instantly. Mazel felt her cheeks burn, remembering the sight of the Pharaoh bowing before the two of them.

Mazel's attention was drawn upwards though when she saw her sister running towards them. She stopped within a few feet and just stared up at Chat Noir, her tiny mouth hung open. "Chat Noir...." she stated. She quickly fell to her knees and bowed. Mazel ran to her sister's side and put her arms around her.

"No need to bow," Chat Noir stated. "I'm just returning your sister." Chat Noir placed the basket down and knelt in front of Elisheva.  He placed a hand on the girl's head. "Take care of each other."

Elisheva looked up at Chat Noir and nodded. "Always."

Mazel heard a beeping sound and looked at Chat Noir's bracelet. The green gems were turning yellow. He jumped to his feet. "Well, my time in the mortal realm is coming to an end, see you next time maybe."

He was quickly gone, and that left group of stunned slaves. Elisheva seemed the most affected, stunned by the kindness of the 'god' to mere slaves. Mazel didn't dare admit even to herself that she was stunned by his actions and the kindness he had shown her. She told herself that the beating in her chest was from the attack at the river, and not that his kindness had maybe, just a little changed her opinion of him. Of course it was from the river, it couldn't have been from that egoistical cat. That's what she told herself at least.

 

8 8 8

 

When Mazel woke up the next morning, the last thing she expected to see on top of her was a cat. So when she woke up and there were several cats on top of her, she was surprised. Mazel and Elisheva didn't have a cat. There was one cat that worked the fields, and it didn't look like any of these cats. The master had several cats, and they looked nothing like these either.

Mazel carefully removed the cats from her and climbed out of bed. It was then that she noticed that there was at least a dozen cat's in their hut. She gasped loudly, which drew Elisheva from her sleep. She looked at her sister, and then around the room. She drew from her own straw bed. Her eyes went wide. "W-where did they come from?"

"I don't know!" Mazel cried. She carefully climbed over the cats and ran to the entrance of their little hut, that had its wooden door crept open. She opened it, and many of the cats ran out when she did. She jumped in the air when she saw that there were even more cat's outside. Not just that.

Not all of them looked exactly normal. Many of the cats outside were covered in bandages and looked half rotten. Though they moved like normal cats. She covered her mouth as the smell of rotten flesh hit her. "Mummies," she gasped. She closed the hut door and looked down at her confused sister. "The some of the cat's...they're mummified. They're dead."

Elisheva jumped to her feet and peered out of their lone window, she gasped when she saw what Mazel had just seen. "What do they want?!"

"I don't know!" Mazel cried. "We have to get to the house! Get dressed."

Both girl's quickly changed, and when Mazel opened the door, she grabbed her sister's hand and they took off in a jog towards the back entrance to the house. Mazel jumped over more than a few cat's, but after Elisheva nearly tripped a few times, she grabbed her sister and lifted her up in her arms and ran with her the rest of the way. Once at the back entrance, Mazel let her sister down and began to knock on the door. "Akela! You there?!"

The door opened, and a very flustered Akela looked at the two girls. "Inside now!"

Once inside the door was shut tightly. "What's going on? Do you know?" Mazel asked.

"I have no idea, but Master Shen is in the central room praying at the altar. He believes this is the work of the gods."

 _'It's the work of someone,'_ Mazel thought to herself. _'Though I doubt it’s a god.'_

"They are supposedly all over the city as well," Akela continued. "I know that the god's are supposed to be great and wise, but we literally cannot have these many cats around. They’ll be no rodents to hunt, then what! They're eat our foods! We'll starve!"

"Should we maybe....do something about the mummy ones?" Mazel asked. "Put them back to rest maybe."

"Hurting a cat, alive or dead is against the law. It’s punishable by death," a voice from the kitchen entrance stated. The three turned to see Ammon standing in the doorway and the three bows immediately. Ammon stepped into the kitchen and looked down at the three. "Father is praying to the gods now, I'm sure they have a purpose for the cat's being here. Now..."Ammon stepped in front of Mazel, and looked down at her. "I want you to come with me...Mazel is it?"

Her eyes shot up and looked at Ammon, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm Mazel. What can I do for you, Master Ammon?"

"I wish to speak to you," he stated. "Come with me."

Mazel rose to her feet and began to follow him as he left the kitchen. She followed him into the central room and then into a room she had never been to. The bedrooms. She entered behind him, and then swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. He stopped and turned to look at her. "So, I've been watching you since you've become a house slave, and I'm impressed by your abilities."

She felt a blush creep to her cheeks. "Y-yes Master Ammon."

"You listen well to orders. I'm impressed. I need a slave like you," he explained. "I've already talked to my father, and he has agreed for you to become my personal house slave, after the flooding season is over."

Mazel was at a loss for words, but her face said it all. She was in shock. He never cared for any slaves to help him out ever. And he had been acting so strange the last few days. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she closed her mouth. No words could come out. She was confused. He seemed to sense this and continued. "I would ask if you wished to leave the fields, but I already decided that I want you for the position, so you're just going to have to say yes."

She still didn't understand. She wanted to ask why her. She wanted to ask why he was suddenly interested in having a house slave of his own. And she wondered why his father was so willing to let him pick anyone he wanted "Master Ammon, I don-"

"I said I'm not taking no for an answer," he stated. "It'll be easier than what you're doing now. The worst you'll do is make my bed. I just need help with paperwork, maybe a few errands being done. Messages passed along. An infant could do it."

Mazel wasn't given much of a choice, so she shallowed her pride and gave him the answer he clearly wanted her to give. "Yes, Master Ammon. I'll do it."

He seemed amused and laughed a little to himself. Something she had never witnessed before. "Excellent."


	6. A Visit to the Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all of the cat's running around, Mazel and Ammon head to the palace. While there, Ammon talks to his uncle about the cat problem. An akuma attacks.

Mazel carefully stepped over another cat that was in her way. She grumbled under her breath in annoyance. It had been weeks, and no Akuma had appeared to take claim over the cats or try to take the miraculous from Ladybug or Chat Noir. Mazel finally made it to the backdoor of the master’s house, and pushed open the door. To her surprise, a cat came out of nowhere and startled her, knocking her to the ground. The extra loaf of bread that had been in the basket fell to the ground, where the cat’s in the area jumped on the bread and attacked it with fierce starvation. Mazel climbed to her feet and tried to dust off her white dress from the sandy ground. She picked up the basket, and looked to the kitchen doorway to see Akela looking out at her, shaking her head.

“The cats are getting worse,” she stated. She let Mazel inside and closed the door behind her. Mazel knew they were getting worse. They were starting to attack each other, and stealing whatever food they could. Usually the cats ate rats and other vermin that littered the streets and caused sickness. With what appeared to be the hundreds of extra cat’s running around, the vermin had pretty much disappeared. Now the cats were starving, and becoming a huge problem. One that very few people seemed to want to admit was an actual problem. Only the non-Egyptians seemed to even dare mention the possibility that the cats were a curse rather than a blessing. Mazel agreed with them, but kept her mouth shut.

The master prayed at the altar in the center room, blessing the gods for their gift. Everyone knew it was the smart thing to not talk about the gods damning them.  Even the ever innocent Elisheva was becoming concerned. She had been scratched several times by the cats already and had several cuts on her arms and legs. Mazel was becoming annoyed.

“They are becoming rather, mischievous,” Mazel agreed with Akela.

The older woman took the bread basket from Mazel and then motioned for Mazel to head to the young masters room. She nodded, and left the small kitchen. After breakfast she would head to Ammon’s room where he would be waiting for her. He’d explain to her a new job or task he had taken on for his father, and how she could help. She was basically being trained in the mornings. This happened every day until lunchtime where she would return to the kitchen and work for the remainder of the day.

So when she peeked her head into Ammon’s room, and found him sitting at a little chair he had by his window, she stepped into the room, and bowed once she was in his eye line, just like she did every other day. “Good morning, Master Ammon,” she stated as she bowed.

He was looking over a scroll of some kind, and looked at her. “Good morning,” he greeted. He looked her over and seemed to be focusing on her white dress. She tried to look normal. “You’re covered in sand!”

“Y-yes,” Mazel stated. “I fell a few minutes ago outside. I am so sorry, I’ll clean up any mess I make.”

“No, its fine,” Ammon assured her. “I’m just use to you having flour on your dress, not sand. How did you fall?”

Mazel looked embarrassed as she admitted why. “I was startled by a cat when I opened the back kitchen door. I fell down in surprise.”

Anyone else would have laughed, but not Ammon. He just looked her over once again. “You aren’t injured though?”

“N-no, not at all,” she told him.

“Good,” he stated. “Can’t have you injured.”

Mazel’s heart rate increased. Though she wasn’t sure why. It happened every so often since she had become a house servant. It wasn’t something she was used to. She didn’t get flustered. She just didn’t. Perhaps it was because he was showing her a little concern. Though she knew it wasn’t out of concern for _her,_ but rather for the doctor bill that would come with her being injured, and the lost money to taking care of her.

Master’s often paid for their slave’s doctor visits and nursed them back to health. It was cheaper overall than buying a new slave if one died. Still, Master Shen avoided the doctor at all costs, so she assumed Ammon was the same. He was just as intelligent when it came to running the fields as his father.

Ammon rolled his scroll up, and handed it to her, and she took it, and brought it over to the shelf where he kept them. She placed it on the shelf, and then turned back to the young master. He was standing, and was stretching away from her, facing the window. When he was done, he turned to face her. “Well Mazel, I think we’re going on a special assignment today.”

“Yes, Master Ammon?” she asked.

He nodded at her. “Yeah, we’re going to go to the palace today?”

“Oh, do you have business with the Pharaoh?” Mazel asked. She hadn’t seen the Pharaoh a day before in her life, until the day she had saved him from the Akuma weeks ago. She wasn’t sure how she felt about meeting him again, especially as just a lowly slave.

Ammon shook his head at her. “No, I’m actually just visiting. This visit is more for your benefit.”

She was surprised. “M-my benefit?”

He shrugged as if he had just suggested that she take a walk just for the fresh air. “You’ll be my assistant in less than three weeks. You should get use to the palace now. After all, you may have to go there without me in the future to deliver papers or messages to the Pharaoh’s accountants.”

That made sense to Mazel, but she hadn’t imagined herself ever going to the palace by herself in the future. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Thought instantly she knew, this wasn’t something that was up for debate. So she just nodded. “Yes, Master Ammon.”

“Excellent, wait here while I go tell my father,” Ammon told her. She nodded and he left.

When he went out to the centre room, there was his father in his favorite chair, entertaining his wife. Ammon excused himself when he interrupted them. Shen looked up at him. “Yes, Ammon, what is it?”

“I’m going to go to the palace today,” he stated. His father shrugged. That wasn’t anything new for Ammon to do, but he continued to explain further to his father. “Mazel will be running to the palace for me a couple of times a week, I wish to introduce her to the staff she’ll be working with, and give her a tour, so she will be more effective at her given tasks.”

His father looked stunned. Then confused, and then annoyed. “Ammon, are you really interested in this girl as an assistant, or are you just looking for company.”

Ammon raised his brow at his father. “Excuse me, father?”

“I mean, I understand, you’re at the age. If its companionship, we can get that taken care of,” Shen explained matter of factly.

Ammon shook his head. “Father, no. Mazel needs to know her way around the palace. She needs to know who to go to for errands. You agreed I could train her a little bit every day. This is today’s task that I’ve chosen.”

Shen didn’t seem convinced. Ammon was rather annoyed by his father’s accusations. Was true that he was fourteen, and was at an age many boys his age had urges. He felt no such urges. And this certainly wasn’t that. “Fine, but if I find out you have been lying to me about her…she will be the one to suffer,” Shen stated to his son.

“That is not the case father,” Ammon stated defensively. He didn’t even wait for his father to say anything else, he moved back to his bedroom door, where Mazel was standing, waiting for him. Her face was clearly red. She had probably heard the whole thing. He just motioned for her to leave the house, and she did. She hurried out front, and he met her there. He was pretty annoyed with his father. He just wanted to help Mazel, he had no interest in her. She was just a slave girl. She wasn’t that attractive looking, and she really couldn’t offer him anything that he particularly wanted. She was just a project for him. A good deed. That was it.

He took her to follow him, and she did. He was actually in a foul mood now. His father always knew how to get under his skin. And he did it at least once a week. Today was an especially bad one. Ammon didn’t have the sexual appetite that he knew his father had, and if he did, he doubted he would be interested in just a slave.

He decided that leaving and talking to his uncle was the best route now; after he gave Mazel the tour of course. He needed to cool down. Perhaps a nice glass of wine was all that he needed. He knew his uncle would offer him one, and he knew that today, he wouldn’t refuse a goblet.

They walked to the castle in silence, walking through the streets of the city. Mazel walked a foot or so behind him, as was customary. He could hear her trying to keep up with him. She was half a foot shorter than him, and she was very frail compared to him. He could hear her footsteps, as she tried to keep up with him while moving through the crowds. He stopped and turned back to look at her.

She froze, still a foot behind him. She looked worried. “Is everything alright, Master Ammon?” She looked at him with concern. He hadn’t remembered the last time someone had actually shown him any concern. She frowned and looked down. “I apologize if your father is angry at you because of me.” His mouth fell open slightly. She was taking the blame. Could she possibly actually believe that he was interested in her? How could he? She was a slave girl. “I know you have no interest in me Master beyond a slave to help you. I promise to make it up to you by working extra hard.” She bowed her head.

His heart quickened. She was just a slave girl, but she was sharp. She knew how things were, minus the fact that she wasn’t to blame. His father was for coming to a conclusion about something that really wasn’t happening. He reached out for her, and placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, her eyes wide. “You didn’t do anything Mazel. My father just likes to jump to conclusions. You have been a great help since you were brought here. Just keep up the good work.”

She nodded quickly, her eyes were still quick. “Y-yes Master Ammon.”

He turned his back to her once again. “Mazel, if you’re having trouble keeping up, you may walk beside me, and I’ll walk at your pace.”

She stepped up beside him, and looked up at him, lightly nodding. He nodded at her. The two continued like that, walking up to the palace, side by side.

Once they reached the palace, Ammon showed Mazel where the accountants were, where the kitchen was, and the storage area. The three main areas where Mazel would be venturing the most in her visits to the castle. The staff were friendly, and greeted Mazel with kindness, and chatted with her about how young she was and how she had no doubt worked hard for this position. She seemed embarrassed, but thanked them and wished them well.

Ammon was glad to see that she was a real people person behind that shyness she displayed around her authority figures. The biggest thing he noticed that day though, was her smile. It had caught him off guard a little. As she met and talked with the ladies of the kitchen and chatted for that quick moment she had lit up and smiled. And it wasn’t until he saw that smile that he realized he had never seen her smile before. He couldn’t describe that smile. His stomach felt like it had done flip-flops the moment he saw it. It only lasted a second, thought when he saw it, she went from just a slave girl, to perhaps a slightly more attractive slave girl. He was caught off guard, that was it; or at least, he told himself that.

The last errand was visiting the Pharaoh. When Ammon found his uncle, Pharaoh Tutankhamun he was enjoying some fruit on one of the outside balconies that over looked the city. This view looked over the temple of Horus. Mazel took her place by the entrance way to the balcony and stood by another slave girl, this one who worked for the royal family. She remained silent and still. He took a seat beside his uncle, and was very relieved when a servant automatically gave him a goblet of wine that he so desperately desired.

“There are many more cats in the city than yesterday I hear,” Tutankhamun stated. “Truly, the gods have blessed us.”

Ammon had avoided speaking about the cats. While he was a true Egyptian and loved all cats, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about all of the extra cats around. Plagg had told him that this was no blessing, but the work of an Akuma that had yet to show itself. He had heard the whispers from the slaves and people. The cats were starving and turning violent.

“In what way is it a blessing, uncle,” Ammon asked. “What reason did the gods give us this blessing?”

Tutankhamun was believed to be the god Horus incarnated on earth. Horus, the god of all living things and the sky. Surely his uncle had an idea why this would happen. He was a god in human form after all.

“Why else?” Tutankhamun stated. “They are blessing us with the past cats that we’ve lost, and giving us more cats to worship and love.”

Ammon wasn’t actually convinced. Perhaps not even an incarnation of a god knew all the answers sometimes. “And what of these two new gods? Chat Noir and Ladybug. What if they did something to…bring the cats numbers down?”

Tutankhamun seemed to take a moment to think it over. “Well, the Goddess Ladybug will surely create a miracle, that’s what she had done since her first appearance. While Chat Noir, he himself is a cat like god; I would imagine he would be able to decide if and when the cats would leave. They are gods after all. I just hope that such an act wouldn’t upset the goddess Baset.”

Ammon tried to not give a physical reaction of surprise. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? All the other Akuma’s were taking on the form of gods. Why couldn’t this one as well? The Goddess Baset loved cats, she was their guardian. He tried to act naturally. “I’m sure the goddess would forgive him. He’s a cat after all.”

“Now that we are on the topic of the new gods in our presence, I wish to speak to you about the goddess Ladybug,” Tutankhamun stated. “She creates miracles, and I am getting desperate for a miracle.”

Ammon frowned. He knew exactly where his uncle was going with this. His aunt, the queen Ankhesenamum had been sick throughout her pregnancy and from what he had heard, she was worsening. “What kind of miracle.”

“Ankhesenamum, she is not improving. I have doctors with her at all times, and I have my priests praying every second they can. I myself have prayed at Horus’s temple three times a day for the last month,” Tutankhamun explained. “I wish to have an audience with Ladybug.”

“Uncle, I fear that, Ladybug’s powers I’m sure, doesn’t work like that,” Ammon stated. While Ammon agreed that Ladybug was incredibly powerful and was gifted. Neither of them could save sick people nor bring them back from the dead.

“I’m sure she can,” Tutankhamun stated. “I’m going to go pray for her to come. She cannot deny me. I am a god incarnate!”

The pharaoh stood, and left, his guards following him, no doubt to escort him to the temple of Horus to pray. He frowned, feeling particularly bad about his visit. Seeing his uncle didn’t make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse. He grabbed his goblet and drank down the rest of his wine. He placed the goblet down, and stood. There was no point in staying. He had to get Mazel back. She was already a little late. He’d take the blame for that though.

“Mazel, we are leaving now,” he stated.

“Y-yes Master Ammon,” she stated.

She followed him out of the castle and out into the city streets once again. They are walking together, but she keeps stealing glances from him. He notices, but isn’t sure what to make of it. He finally turned to her the fifth time he notices her looking at him. “What is it?” he asked.

“I…I just…You talked a lot about Ladybug and Chat Noir back there is all,” she stated. “Forgive me Master Ammon, I didn’t think you had taken interest in them.”

“It’s not every day two people like them show up,” he stated. “A girl who can create miracles. Kind of amazing, don’t you think?”

She slightly nodded. “Chat Noir is just as amazing too.”

Ammon was surprised by her words. Everyone talked about Ladybug. Not nearly as many people mentioned Chat Noir. They acknowledged him, but they never put him on the same level as Ladybug. Hell, Ammon didn’t put himself on the same level as her. Though he supposed that Mazel didn’t count for much. He had saved her a few weeks back at Chat Noir. “You think he’s handsome too, I bet?”

She seemed confused by the question. She shrugged. “I never really considered that, Master. Most of his face is covered in black, so it’s hard to make out his features.”

He supposed that she had a point. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir’s faces were covered by the paint like masks. “But you’re grateful that he saved you?”

She tilted her head to one side. “Yes, of course I am…but Master Ammon, however did you hear about that?”

He had clearly said too much. “The slaves, they gossip.” He lied, but of course he knew the slaves did gossip. He never listened in to such news before though.  He had just remembered hearing his father complain about such gossip.

“That makes sense,” she stated.

Suddenly there were screams. Ammon froze. There was only one reason that the city was filled with screams nowadays. And that was because an Akuma was showing its ugly face. Together they ran in the direction of the screams. They didn’t go far as they witnessed a woman being attacked. Not by a mugger, not a cat, and certainly not a mummified cat, but a real mummy. He stood there frozen for a moment, shocked at what he was witnessing. Protectively he grabbed Mazel’s hand and began to lead her away. She followed him and he jumped into an alleyway. He grabbed either side of her shoulder.

“Mazel, listen closely.” She nodded as he continued. “I want you to run as fast as you can. Get your sister, and run, and do not come back until you know for certain that the city is safe.”

She nodded but looked at him strangely. “W-what are you going to do?”

“I need to warn my uncle at the temple. Just go!”

She pushed herself off the wall and ran. Once he was sure he was alone, he removed his wig, and Plagg came out. Within seconds, he was transformed, and he was back out at the scene of the woman being attacked, now on the ground being strangled by the mummy. He grinned. “Time to sharpen these claws.”

 

 8 8 8

 

Mazel ran around to another corner. She hid, and looked around to make sure that no one else was around. She lightly lifted her dress, and looked down at the small little pouch she had made and had strapped to her inner thigh. Tikki poked her head out. “Tikki, transform me!”

There was a flash of light and Tikki transformed Mazel, and she turned back to the city streets. She used her yo-yo to climb up onto the roof and looked around, trying to find the source of the Akuma. She could hear more cries towards the temple, so she began to leap from roof top to roof top. She looked to the ground below and saw dozens of mummies shifting through the streets. She jumped and climbed over each roof. As she moved about she spotted Chat Noir down below, kicking and fighting the mummies. She stopped and called out to him. “Chat!”

He slashed at a mummy, and it fell to the ground in a heap. He turned to look up at her. He grinned. “Lady Goddess.”

He slashed at another mummy that approached him, and then leapt and climbed onto the roof with her. She looked at him, and then at the temple up ahead. “There are more screams up ahead. I have a feeling many of the people are rushing to the temple.”

There were more screams, and ground began to shake beneath them. Mazel fell to her knee’s, but quickly jumped to her feet again. She stared at the temple and then at her partner. “The Akuma has got to be at the temple.”

Mazel noticed Chat Noir’s eyes go wide as he looked at the temple. “The Pharaoh…he’s at the temple praying.”

Mazel’s eyes went wide, realizing that she should have remembered that, though she still looked at Chat Noir. “How do you know that?”

“I just do! Hurry!” he shouted at her as he took off.

She followed him, jumping and climbing from roof to roof. They are just a few roofs away from the temple when something bursts out of the temple. It’s flying high above the temple, and stops high enough up that it looks like an ant from where they are standing. Mazel’s eyes are blinded by the harsh sun, but suddenly the harsh brightness from the sun is gone, and it is as black as night. In fact, it is night time. Except there has been no torches lit, and there is no moon out. It’s a moonless night, and Mazel can’t see a thing. She feels Chat Noir grab her hand, and he holds her behind him.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

“It’s Horus,” he stated. “The akuma has taken his form. He’s turned it into night.”

“You can see him right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s spotted us yet, but he’s circling around the city,” Chat Noir explained.

“Chat, I need you to be my eyes,” she told him. “I need you to do this.”

He squeezed her hand. “You didn’t need to ask.”

“Where is he exactly now?”

There was silence for a moment, and then she felt Chat Noir suddenly grab her, and shift her so he was holding her in both arms, completely bridal shower. She was about to demand why he held her so, but she was suddenly blinded by the sun, that had impossibly quickly reappeared out of nowhere. Where they had been standing, was now covered in mummies. She gasped, realizing that they had oh so easily snuck up on them in the darkness. “He knows where we are,” Chat Noir explained.

“Get me somewhere safe, I’ll use Lucky Charm, we have to have something that will help us.”

She heard him agree, and they jumped and shifted from roof to roof, and he finally settled on a ledge by the temple. She grabbed her yo-yo and threw it into the air, “Lucky Charm!”

A light came forth and disappeared just as quickly, dropping down in front of Mazel, where she caught it. She stared at it. It was a heavy double sided hammer made out of heavy jaded rock. It looked exactly like one that carpenters used. They were casted in darkness once again, and Mazel was left feeling rather annoyed. She cursed in annoyance, but Chat Noir, reached for her again, holding her so she wouldn’t fall off the small ledge.

“Ladybug, I see it,” he stated. “Around his neck, it’s the eye of Horus. That’s what controlling the day and night.”

That made sense to Mazel. In the stories, one of Horus’s eyes was hurt by his brother. One eye was the day, and the other was the night. “Chat, I want you to leave me here. Get that amulet and get it to me to break. I need to be close enough to purify the akuma.”

“You sure?” he asked.

She nodded at him, knowing that he could see just fine. “Do what you need to do to bring him down.”

“Okay, hold on tight,” he told her.

She felt him leave her, and she gripped onto one of the statues that decorated the ledge she was on. She felt on, praying to God that this ended well. She only had a few more minutes left before her transformation wore off. Meanwhile, Ammon, was on the roof of the temple, and watched at Horus made another round around the temple. He took aim and ran, and leapt off the temple, jumping into Horus’s back. He gripped into the god’s golden set of wings. Right away the false god tried to shake her off. He tightened his grip but lifted one of his hands into the air. “CATACLYSM!” He pressed his hand to the wings, and they shattered into pieces, and the two of them dropped like a rock. As they fell, Ammon, reached for the amulet around Horus’s neck and ripped it clean off. When he got it, he jumped off the god and headed back to Ladybug, not really caring for the false god at this moment. He scaled the wall of the temple and reached the girl who was holding on tightly.

“Lady, grab my hand,” he stated, reaching for her. She let her hand up, and reached for his hand. He grasped it, and pulled her up onto the roof. He passed her the amulet. She shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to see the akuma!”

He moved behind her, and held both of her hands. “I’ll be your eyes.”

He heard her gasp a little under her breath, but he didn’t care at this moment. He helped her take the hammer, and after putting the amulet on the ground, they smashed the amulet with hammer.  He could see the Akuma escaping, and flying away. He whispered to her. “It’s right in front of you. It’s straight up.” He helped her stand once again and take aim with her yo-yo and together they threw it into the air.

“You’re not escaping Akuma,” she called out. The yo-yo captured the Akuma. He tugged at her arm, telling her that she caught it. She pulled it in, and then opened the yo-yo. Releasing the akuma. “Bye, bye little butterfly.”

Chat Noir now released her, just as she threw the hammer into the air. “Miraculous Cure!”

The damage disappeared, and the city returned to normal. The mummies disappeared. The sun reappeared too, brightening everything. Mazel smiled. She turned to Chat Noir, who was also smiling at her. They turned to look over the city once again, but then Mazel noticed something. Something hadn’t been fixed. Her mouth hung open. “T-The cats!” she gasped. “All the cats are still here!”

Chat Noir turned and looked at the city as well. His mouth dropped open as well. “N-no…I can’t believe it.”

“There’s still another akuma in the city!” Mazel gasped. Her hearing beeped, telling her that her transformation was running dangerously out of power. She gave Chat Noir a sad look. He shrugged, knowing by now that she was going to leave him. She always did after all. She uttered an apology. “We’ll meet again, I promise. Thank you Chat, I couldn’t have done this without you.”

She disappeared over the temple ledge, and ran into the streets. She had to get home and make sure Elisheva was alright. If she didn’t get there before him, she was sure that Ammon wouldn’t be pleased with her.


	7. Rumours in the House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mazel becomes the subject of gossip in the kitchen.

It was just another day in the household. Three days had passed since Horus’s Akuma had attacked. She had managed to get back to her hut before Ammon, or before he came to check on the safety of the work force. So far things seemed pretty normal, except for the Master Shen who seemed rather distracted by the news that Horus had attacked near the temple, with the Pharaoh inside. Though Mazel knew that the Akuma was no god, the Egyptians were taking this as a very serious omen from their gods.

She had even heard rumours that these false gods were attempting to overtake the kingdom, and were sent from an unknown underworld. Tikki had laughed at most of these rumours, explaining to Mazel that this power was just the work of a kwami, though he was one that has turned evil. Mazel understood this completely, for Lucifer was once good himself.

Today, like any other day, she was with Ammon after breakfast. He was showing her around the office, pointing out different parts of the shelves for different types of scrolls. This was a little overwhelming for her. Mazel could speak Egyptian, but she couldn’t read it. She barely remembered the basic reading or writing she had learned in her own mother tongue. He was pointing to hieroglyphs symbols that stated where each scroll went and she had no idea what he was talking about.

“M-master Ammon,” she stated. She had cut him off. This could earn her a whipping, but she was very concerned what the punishment would have been had she not spoken up at all and messed up later.

He spotted speaking, but looked at her with a confused expression. “Yes? What is it Mazel.”

She hunched her shoulders and rubbed her arm nervously. “I…I don’t understand. I mean, I understand what you’re saying…but I don’t know how much help I can be for this part of the job. I…can’t read hieroglyphs.”

He actually seemed surprised to hear this. She wasn’t exactly sure why. She was brought here when she was very young. And in that time she had to learn a new language by pretty much just listening and practising speaking it as she was taught by the other slaves. She hadn’t been taught to read the Egyptian writing or write it, because most of the slaves didn’t know either.

He had turned away from her, and was looking for something, and was staring at the shelf.  She was curious at what he was doing. He had said nothing, and now he was wondering with great wonder what he was doing or thinking. Finally he turned back to her after what seemed like an hour to her. “I can teach you enough to help me organize these.”

“W-What?” she gasped.

He nodded. “You’re smart, I’ve seen it. I know I could teach you enough to be able to read what each space is. On the back off all the scrolls, there is the same symbol as where it goes on the shelf.”

She went red. No one had ever called her smart before. And certainly no one had ever offered to teach her any sort of skill that would benefit her. If she could learn enough, if she ever managed to pay off her doubt, she could find perhaps a decent honest job in the city. “M-master...”

He shrugged like he had just offered her an extra slice of bread. Like it was nothing. He had to know what kind of offer that was to a lowly slave. “I want you to work for me. I need it to run smoothly, so if taking a day to teach you will help me out better…it wouldn’t be a waste of time.”

“Master Ammon! That would be incredible. Thank you!” she was lighting up and was smiling at him. No one had shown her such kindness before since she was taken from her parents. His eyes seemed to go wide, and he looked away, and coughed a little.

“It’s nearing lunchtime,” he stated. “You should head back to the kitchen. I’ll make you up a scroll with the symbols. I’ll come by your hut after dinner to give you a short lesson.”

“Yes!” she continued to glow in excitement. “I-I’ll do my best Master Ammon!”

She quickly bowed and turned away from him, and rushed out of the office, disappearing back to the kitchen. That left a very confused Ammon in the office.

He felt Plagg shift out from under his wig and he looked down at Ammon. The kwami was rather amused. “You’re going way out of your way to help that girl. You’re not doing all this to impress Ladybug are you? Because that is stupid, she doesn’t even know who you are.”

Ammon growled at Plagg and flicked him in the nose with his fingers. “I am not doing this for Ladybug. I needed an assistant.”

Plagg wasn’t convinced in the least. In fact, he was more amused than ever. He chuckled at the human boy. “It’s alright if you like her. She’s got a cute smile.”

Ammon told himself that he hadn’t noticed. And even though he knew that was a huge lie, he wasn’t going to admit it to Plagg, or himself for that matter. Mazel was just a slave girl. She was just a slave. He chanted it over and over again. He needed an assistant. That was it. That was her usefulness. Sure, he was helping her out and she was going to free her sister because of the position he had given her. That still didn’t change the fact that she was a slave.

Ammon, fixed his wig, shoving the annoying Kwami back under for safe keeping.

 

 

8 8 8

 

Mazel entered the kitchen, and was greeted immediately by her younger sister. Elisheva embraced her, and Mazel greeted her by returning her hug. When the two departed, she bowed when Akela approached her. Elishiva returned to helping with the cleaning. “How was your training with Master Ammon, Mazel?”

She rose and looked at her superior. “It was great. Master Ammon is going to teach me some very basic hieroglyphs so I can help him in the office better.”

Akela’s face lit up. “Mazel! That’s incredible! That’s a skill most peasants don’t have, let alone a Hebrew slave.”

Mazel nodded in excitement. “It will only be able to help organize the scrolls, but I know I can learn.”

Mazel immediately notices other slaves that were stealing glances at her. When she looked their way, they glanced away as if they were trying to not get caught. This surprised her, and she frowned. Akela noticed this as well, and glared at the girls. “Get back to work!” she barked.

The girls jumped but they remained returned away and continued on with their work. Akela grabbed Mazel’s arm, and pulled her down so she was at eye level as Akela who was much shorter than Mazel. She began to whisper in her ear. “You have a great position now. There will be gossip, and jealous sweeping around. Pay the others no mind. Just continue working hard.”

Mazel’s eyes were wide, and when she was released by Akela she nodded. She didn’t expect there to be gossip about her. Why would there be? She was a house slave. Sometimes house slaves were given bigger jobs within the house. “Now, go help chop some of the onions,” Akela ordered Mazel.

Mazel nodded, and moved over to the counter where the clay bowl was, filled with onions just waiting to be chopped for the evening stew. Mazel dipped the onions in the bowl of water and placed them on the counter. She picked up the sharpened copper knife and began to chop. As she chopped them, she heard the other house slaves around her talking, and she felt her heart rate quicken when she heard her name mentioned. She tried to pretend that she couldn’t hear them, but she could.

_“Can you believe he chose her? She’s just a child. And she doesn’t work **that** hard.”_

_“Please, you don’t honestly believe that he chose her because she’s a **hard worker** do you?”_

_“Oh, no, I don’t think she’s working all that hard. After all, laying on your back all morning is hardly what I’d call work.”_

Mazel’s hands began to tremble. She tried to focus on chopping the onions, but she was having such a hard time concentrating. Their words stung. They couldn’t possibly believe that she was having relations with Ammon...could they? They had been house slaves a lot longer than her. They knew him better than she did. And she knew already that Ammon didn’t seem to show any interest in the fairer sex.  She tightened her eyes as she heard them continue to speak about her like she was invisible.

_“She also got saved by Chat Noir the day before she was hired by Master Ammon.”_

_“That was her? You want to bet she gave him some favors in exchange for a better position.”_

_“The little vixen sure gets around, doesn’t she?”_

Mazel wanted to turn to the girls and yell at them. She wanted to run away. She wanted to quit. She wanted to just stop being the center of attention. She hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary to earn this position. She was asked. She wasn’t doing this for a better life. She was doing this so that Elisheva could have a better life.

She tried to hum to herself, trying to drown out their hurtful words. She hummed a lullaby that her mother use to sing to her. She concentrated on the sweet voice that rocked her to sleep every night. The gentle kind voice that protected her from all the wrongs and evils of the world. Once she felt like her emotions were free from potentially spilling over, she continued to chop he onions away. She would continue to work hard, and be the skilled worker she knew she was.

Once dinner was done, she was relieved to return home. She helped her sister change into her lion cloth, and she did the same, hanging their dresses up for the next day. Elisheva had been especially tired, having had a nightmare the night before, so Mazel put her to bed on her sleeping mat on the hut floor. Mazel pulled up the thin linen blanket they owned up over her sister. It was warm, and they did not need blankets. Though poor Elisheva had been attracting the cat’s attention especially. So Mazel put the blanket up over her to protect her from any of the cats that entered their hut during the night.

While the cats were still wandering the streets in the hundreds, they were taking to the Nile now, attracted to the aquatic animals that littered the shoreline. Small fish, insects, frogs and snails. These were attracting the cats in great numbers. Though Mazel wouldn’t such things out loud, she was relieved that the crocodiles had found a new source of easy prey, which had helped with the large number of cats that were plaguing them.

Mazel felt tired herself, but she knew that Ammon would be arriving anytime now. She carefully too out a slice of bread she had been saving and brought it to the window sill. She lifted up the lion cloth, and released Tikki from the little pouch. Tikki found the slice of bread, and began to eat it hungrily.

Mazel sighed and leaned against the window sill. Tikki looked at her as she ate her slice of bread. “I’m worried about what the other slaves are saying about me, Tikki.”

Tikki shook her head. “It’s like Akela said. Pay them no mind, and continue to do your best.”

“I don’t want to be gossiped about though…” Mazel stated. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You’re right, you haven’t,” Tikki explained. “And even Akela knows that. I can tell.”

Mazel nodded, turning to look out to the house from her window. She would see Ammon coming from the house from this window easily. It would give Tikki enough time to find a place to hide. “Tikki, about this Akuma…is it normal for one to hide this long?”

“It’s not unheard of…it’s just really uncommon,” Tikki stated as she finished the last bite of her bread. “I can’t sense where its hiding, but I can tell that it is going to strike soon. Within a few days. So be prepared.”

Mazel smiled at the little kwami, and playfully rubbed Tikki’s head. “Thanks for always being here for me.”

Tikki giggled. “You’re welcome.”


	8. Mourning of the Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The akuma, Bastet finally shows herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sistrum: a rattle like object. The goddess Bastet held it and used it to summon cats to her side

Usually Mazel woke up hours before the sun did. She had never been able to sleep an entire night since she had been taken from her mother’s arm as a child. Today though, her sleep was broken by the scream of her younger sister, Elisheva. She scrambled to her feet, and in the darkness, she fumbled over to her sister’s side. Her sister grabbed onto Mazel when she felt her. Once Mazel maneuvered her sibling up into her arms, she’s lifted her up and headed for the hut entrance.

She nearly tripped over a cat, but Mazel then cried out when she felt one claw at her. Deep enough that blood began to pool down her leg. She left their hut and the pale moonlight flooded the sandy ground. Mazel could see better outside and inside, and she noticed that there were more cat’s than ever. She gasped as she felt a wet warmth run down her arms. She realized quickly that Elisheva was crying in pain. Upon closer inspection, Mazel could see that her sister was covered in scratches. Enough to make her bleed, but it didn’t appear to be enough to give her a death sentence.

“Shhh,” Mazel whispered to her sister. “It’s fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

There were screams that echoed throughout the area. Some were as far as the other side of the city, others were as close as the huts nearby. The air was filled with hisses and growls from the cats, and Mazel watched as a few began to surround her. She narrowed her eyes. Tikki had been right about the Akuma’s attack coming. She was wrong about when though. It had happened just after the other Akuma attack.

She turned to face the Nile. The cats were often hanging out near the Nile now, but Mazel knew they wouldn’t go very deep. And it was a huge risk. Mazel knew that this was a huge risk because the crocodiles were coming in closer to shore because of the cats. They didn’t have a choice right now. It was a risk she would have to take. 

She took the risk, and began to run with her sister still in her arms, and jumped and dodged the cats that were now attacking them. Her sister quickly realized where they were heading, and she began to shake her head. “M-Mazel! Please d-don’t! Not the Nile!”

She ignored her sister. She knew how scared her sister was of the Nile, and all the dangers it had. Mazel would rather risk everything than not take the risk and watch her sister being mauled to death by the cats. Many more slaves were joining her now, running for the Nile. She could hear the water being splashed in the distance of people who had already made it to the water. And Mazel did as well. The cool water splashed all over them as they moved into the water. Once she was knee deep, Mazel put down her sister, who was almost waist deep. She began crying harder.

“Elisheva, you know that this is the best bet,” Mazel lectured her sister. “You’re safe, you’re fine.”

Elisheva said nothing, but she continued to cry. Mazel turned to face the master’s house. There were screams coming from inside the house, but there was no sign of anyone leaving the house. Mazel’s eye went wide. She had known that Master Shen was very heavily devoted to his faith, but she couldn’t imagine him actually being crazy enough to believe that these cats didn’t mean any harm. She gripped her sister’s shoulders and bit her lip nervously. No one was emerging from the house. She looked at her sister.

“I need to go help the others, stay here,” she ordered.

Her sister pouted. “No! Don’t leave!”

“I have to,” she explained. Her sister glared at her, pouting, but she couldn’t help the situation.

She turned to one of the slaves next to her, who she knew. She had worked with her in the fields for many years now. “Sable, I am going to go look for some others who will need help, can you watch Elisheva for me?”

Sable was a Hebrew slave like Mazel was, but she was several years older. She smiled at Mazel and placed a comforting hand on Elisheva’s shoulder. “Yes, of course.”

Mazel ran out of the water once again, and began to head back to their huts. She hurried by hers and peeked in. “Tikki! Hurry into your pouch.”

She saw the little red creature, and watched as it jumped into the pouch that was hidden in under her loincloth. Once Tikki was in the pouch, Mazel began to search from hut to hut, not staying too long as the cats were beginning to circle around her. Luckily there didn’t appear to be any more slaves. She was glad to see this, and continued on. She finished her round, and then headed for the master’s house. She jumped over more cats that came at her and managed to only receive a few more scratches.

She entered in the back door, and searched around. She gasped when she found Akela on the floor, covered in scratches. “Akela!” she cried. She was surrounded by cats and was being clawed at. Mazel entered full on defense mode and moved over, kicking the cats off of the older woman. She helped lift her, and was relieved when she heard the head house slave utter a few moans. She was still alive. “Master Shen! Master Ammon!”

“M-Master is praying,” Akela managed to moan out. “Master’s…son…in his room.”

“Hold on,” Mazel stated. She turned away to head back outside carrying the injured woman. Akela whispered a thanks, and tried to walk. There were scratches all over her face, arms and legs. A few were so deep they cut through her white dress, and stained them red. As more cats approached, Mazel pushed them side with her feet, and gave them a stronger toss when they came back again. She was recieveing more cuts and bits from the cats since she was carrying another person with her, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. A few people rushed out of the water when they saw the injured women. Two older men came out and took her from Mazel and helped her climb into the river. Mazel looked back and still saw no one else coming from the house. Her heart raced. Someone had to get the master’s out of there. She turned and ran back to the house. She slipped into the house once again, and ran into the center room. There she saw her Master Shen bowing before the family altar. She rushed to his side.

“M-Master!” She could already see him covered in blood, but even so he prayed. “You must head to the river. It’s not safe.”

He didn’t look up from his praying, and her heart was racing. He was devoted to his faith more than she was probably to her own. His was nothing short of obsessive. Surely Ammon could help her get some sense into her master. She rose to her feet, and looked around. “Master Ammon!”

She couldn’t see him, but she in turn moved to his bedroom entrance way. She found it blocked off with one of his shelves. “Master Ammon!” she called out. She feared the worse. Feared that he was so badly injured inside that he couldn’t answer. “I’m coming in!” she called. With that, she pushed on the shelf as strongly as she could. She pushed it open enough for her to move inside. She climbed inside and looked around. There was no sign of him. He wasn’t in here. The only sign of him was that there was an open scroll next to the bed, and his wig that had been tossed aside.

She picked up the scroll, and tried to see if she could recognize any of the hieroglyphs from her lesson with Ammon. She knew none of these, and just didn’t know what it was. It didn’t look like any of the accounting scrolls. It looks more in-depth. Like a story, or a letter. She bite her lips. She lifted her loincloth, and Tikki jumped out from the pouch. “I don’t know what to do?” she cried.

“Calm down Mazel,” Tikki stated. “Maybe he’s already at the river.”

Mazel wasn’t sure if she had enough time to get there to check. The master needed to be helped right now. She looked at Tikki. “I need you to transform me. Master Shen will listen to Ladybug! He thinks that she’s a goddess!”

Tikki lit up. “Just say the words!”

“Tikki, transform me!”

Tikki disappeared into Mazel’s choker and with a bright light, she was transformed into Ladybug. She turned back and threw the shelf out of the way with incredible ease. She moved into the centre room, and moved over to Shen. She reached for his shoulder, and with new strength as Ladybug she easily lifted him to his feet. He cried out, and looked over to whom had dare disturb his bowing session. His eyes when he saw that it was Ladybug. He tried to bow again, but she reached for him and stopped him.

“No bowing,” she growled. “You need to get to the river now. These cats aren’t a blessing from the gods. They are a curse. If you want to live, get to the river now.”

His eyes were wide, but he nodded. He quickly ran, and disappeared out of the house. Now she had to find Ammon. She was incredibly worried about him. It wasn’t like him to just disappear like this. If he was somewhere praying like his father was, he was in great danger. She turned to one of the large open windows and jumped out. She had to find this Akuma now. She had to save Ammon and the rest of Memphis.

 

8 8 8

 

A transformed Ammon was heading towards the temple. He had seen a strange light coming from the temple, and he had a bad feeling that the Akuma was centered there now. It was the holiest place in the city. He climbed to a roof, avoiding the cats that were clawing at him, even now as Chat Noir. He looked at the temple. There was a bright light coming from the temple, but that was all he could see.

He moved to another roof, and then another. As he neared, he could hear from bouts of screams coming from the city, but he could clearly see most people running west of the city, toward the Nile. They should be safer once they reached the water. Which was good, because as Ammon turned back to look at the city, he heard a large cracking noise. He turned back to the direction of the temple and found that the great statue of Horus that stood proudly out front from the temple was coming down.

He could now see the Akuma. He couldn’t make out any details from the distance, but he could see the form of someone moving about outside the temple. And he could see them clawing at the temple. Destroying the temple front. He growled and hissed. The temple was a sacred place, and the fact that they were not only taking on the forms of gods, but now attacking that sacred place, angered him.

He leapt off the roof, and landed on the next roof and then the next, and the next one. As he neared the temple, the Akuma seemed to sense him, and turned around to face him. She was on the roof straight ahead of him, and was grinning at him. Or as much as he supposed she could. He was face to face with the Goddess Bastet. Her head was that of a cat. Her fur color matched the color of her skin, but the fur only went down partly down her neck. She wore a customary white dress, and she wore boundless amounts of jewelry. In her hand was her Sistrum. She held it playfully, it was lightly making its rattling sound as it spun around. This was followed by the sounds of endless seas of meowing. He blinked a few times, as watched as dozens of cats began to climb the roofs. He gasped, realizing that there were endless amounts of cats that had now surrounded him.

He pulled out of sceptre and extended it. He was ready to defend himself if need be, but it was forbidden to hurt a cat. It was the last thing he could do. His heart raced in his chest as panic began to overcome him. How was he supposed to fight an enemy that had a defense that he couldn’t fight? He was doing the god’s work by defeating imposters, but these were still sacred animals.

Bastet approached, and the cats began to all meow in unison. He covered his ears, as the meowing hurt his extra sensitive ears. She was smiling at him. She was a roof top away and lifted her rattle to him, and lightly shook it. His eyes went wide as he felt a sudden pulse in his head. He grasped his head as the pain throbbed. He looked at Bastet as she neared once again.

“N-no,” he cried.

She reached him, and placed a hand on him. She caressed his face, and drew him in. He couldn’t move. “You understand. I can sense it. These cats are sacred. They need our protection, our love and devotion. Even the ones who have passed on.”

“I agree. Cats are sacred, but the ones who passed on are also loved. We…we don’t need to bring them back,” Ammon gasped. “These cats have exhausted their food sources, they are killing each other. Attacking us. You must stop.”

He cat like eyes went wide. Their honey color stared at his dark brown ones. “Cats are above the humans. Humans are but vermin compared to cats. It is them who deserve to live on, but the humans.”

Ammon tried to move, but he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried. And the pounding in his head increased. It was like she was trying to force her way directly into his mind. She then drew in closer and brought her cat like lips to his cheek and placed a kiss on his cheek. “You’re mine now.”

 

8 8 8

 

Mazel made it to the temple by the edge of the city. She had seen the light from the temple and knew that the Akuma must be inside. Saw many people running to the river, and was thankful for that. It seemed that many people were being as smart about this as possible. She ran into the temple, and looked around. There were cats everywhere, but these ones weren’t attacking her. They were just lounging about, like any other lazy cat would. There was just an absurd amount of them was all.  As she looked around the temple though, she saw that every statue and symbol of Horus was scratched out, and removed. She frowned when she saw this. Clearly the Akuma wanted to claim this temple as their own. They were trying to erase every trace of Horus.

She heard a light thump behind her, and she turned. Standing before her was Chat Noir. She sent him a light smile. He was a huge flirt, but he did seem to take his job seriously. “Glad you could make it. Have you seen the Akuma?”

There was silence. He just stared at her. In the early morning, she could barely see his face in the darkened temple. She tilted her head to one side. “Kitten?”

Without warning he was bolting towards her. Her eyes went wide and she quickly dodged out of the way. She just missed him as he slashed at her with his golden claws. Panic filled her. She had no idea what was going on. Why was he attacking her? They were partners. He came at her again, and she flipped backwards and quickly grabbed her yo-yo from her waist. She swung it around, and threw it at him, successfully wrapping his two wrists together. She pulled tightly, trapping his hands together.

“Chat! What’s going on!? What has gotten into you?” she cried.

He glared at her and yanked hard on her yo-yo’s string, forcing her to release him. She nearly fell forward, but she caught herself, and looked at him with panic. He just stood there though, but he was looking almost through her. She sensed movement behind her, and she quickly looked behind her. Her jaw fell open. There she was.  The Goddess Bastet. She looked back at her partner. It all made sense now. The Akuma had taken on Bastet’s form, and she had the ability to control cats. All cats. Including her partner, Chat Noir. She bit her lip. She wasn’t prepared for this.

“Hand over your Miraculous, Ladybug,” Bastet’s voice filled the room. “If you do, I’ll let you go free.”

Mazel wasn’t one to give up so easily. She glared at the goddess. “I won’t do that.”

Bastet chuckled. “I figured as much. It guarantee’s your death though. After all, cats love to play with and kill insects.”

She knew it was a threat. She didn’t care though. Her partner was possessed. They needed each other. Tikki told her that one could not exist without the other. She would get him back. She tried to think quickly to herself. She had to come up with a plan. _‘She controls cats. Cats listen to her. Chat Noir is a cat….when he’s transformed.’_

Mazel didn’t know if she wanted to smirk or not. She had an idea, but it required her to force him to reveal himself. She looked back at her partner, who had now taken out his sceptre and had extended it into a full staff. He was still emotionless, but that didn’t stop him from looking anymore threatening. She bit her lip nervously. She had to get his bracelet.

He came charging at her, and she charged at him. Her heart raced in her chest. She had no idea how she was going to do this. She just knew that there was no other option. She held her yo-yo in her hands, and she readied herself for him to try and strike at her. He swung at her, and she used her yo-yo, and wrapped it around his weapon, and with a tug she pulled it away from him, throwing it across the temple floor. He hissed at her, and clawed at her. She gracefully dodged him, and used her yo-yo again, this time wrapping it around his whole torso, trapping his arms to his sides. She pulled tightly, and drew him to her.

“Kitten, please forgive me,” she told him. He only growled at her. She reached for his bracelet, and he shifted, trying to prevent her from taking his miraculous. She shook her head and drew in close. “Chat, I’m doing this to help you because I care.”

He froze for a moment. A moment of clarity, before he began to thrash again. She used this moment to grab the bracelet and snatched it from him. When she had it, she released him from the yo-yo and took a step back. There was a flash of green light, and then Chat Noir’s form fell to his knees. Or rather, his civilian form.

Mazel’s mouth fell open. It was Ammon! He looked up, and glared at Bastet, who glared at the scene before her. “How dare you!” Bastet cursed.

Ammon climbed to his feet, and looked back at Ladybug. She immediately tried to compose herself and not look like she just discovered that her flirty partner, was actually her slave masters son. To maintain this, she stepped closer to her partner and held up his bracelet to him. “Take your miraculous and run. You can’t help me in this battle.”

A little kwami was beside Ammon. She just noticed it, and he looked at her, a grin was on his face. Amon took the now simple bracelet from her, and placed it on his wrist. He shook his head. “No. I was trusted with this job too. I’m going stay and help.”

There was silence between them, but their attention was then drawn to the cats that were now hissing and surrounding them. “We need to stop her. Do you know why she’s attacking?” Mazel asked Ammon.

“One of the cats is hers,” he explained. “She’s in mourning for the cat.”

“How do you know that?” Mazel asked.

“Her eye brows,” Ammon pointed. “Cat’s have whiskers above their eyes. They’re like eyebrows. She doesn’t have any.”

Mazel would have never picked up on that. Egyptians who were mourning the death of a beloved cat shaved their eye brows. She smiled at him. “Good catch. So, a mummified cat then.”

She grinned at her partner. “So, I can fight her. I’ll need you to get every mummy cat you can find in this temple.”

“Um…how?” he asked. “One, I don’t have a weapon. Two, its forbidden.”

“There is not one law in Egypt about harming a possessed mummified cat,” Mazel told him. She raised her yo-yo into the air and called out “Lucky charm!” A long red and black pole fell into her hands, and she turned to her partner. She tossed it to him, and he caught it. “This is against the god’s law. You need to free these cats.”

He still seemed unsure. She gave him a wink. “Trust me.”

It seemed to be the only strength he needed. He nodded, and turned as a cat came at him. It was a live cat, but he dodged the cat, and looked around for a mummified one. Mazel turned to Bastet who was growing angrier. She was shaking her Sistrum as hard as she could, summoning as many cats as she could into the temple. Mazel stood in front of Bastet. “Well then, why don’t you hand over the rattle?”

Bastet’s eyes went wide and she pulled the sistrum to her body protectively. It was the only proof that she needed that the sistrum was the possessed object. She took a step closer to Bastet and begun to spin her yo-yo around threateningly. Mazel watched from the corner of her eye though, making sure that Ammon was already. She watched as he struck at a mummified cat. Throwing it into the temple wall. There was a loud meow and a splat as the cat hit the wall. And Bastet’s eyes went wide. “N-no,” she whispered. “My babies.”

“They belong on the afterlife,” Mazel told her. “It’s alright to miss them, but you can’t take over an entire city and threaten everyone’s lives for a few cats that are perfectly happy on the other side.”

“How could you know that!?” Bastet cried. She leap towards Mazel and struck at her. Mazel used her yo-yo to strike at Bastet, hitting her in the face with the yo-yo, knocking her back a few steps.

“It’s paradise,” Mazel answered.  “The cats who pass on are brought to a paradise. That’s how I know.”

Bastet’s cats came at Mazel in large hordes, and she jumped into the air. Bastet joined her in mid-air and grabbed hold of Mazel by the arm. And with a swift motion, threw her into the ground. Mazel’s body slammed into the ground. The cat’s swarmed her before she could climb to her feet.

“Stay away from her!” she heard Ammon’s voice.

She saw just in time, him charging at Bastet with his staff. With a talent that showed that he had been practicing his staff, he easily struck at the fake goddess. He hit her in the face with the pole, and then her wrist. The stunned Akuma dropped the sistrum. With another swift movement from Ammon, the pole came crashing down on the sistrum, cracking it. The cats suddenly were freed from their spell, and Mazel climbed to her feet. She pulled out her yo-yo again and grinned. “Come here you vile little Akuma.” She spun it around, and aimed it for the akuma that was attempting to flee. She snatched it up with the yo-yo. “Time to cleanse evil!” Then with a quick motion she drew the yo-yo to her and opened the yo-yo, releasing the butterfly. “Bye, bye little butterfly.”

She turned to Ammon who tossed the pole into the air. She smiled. “Miraculous cure!”

The magic filled the temple, and purified the temple, and spread out to the city and around. The scratches on the temple walls were fixed and the room was emptied of cats. The magic disappeared, and that left Ammon, Mazel and the black kwami in the temple by themselves. He stepped towards her. “So, I guess you know who I am now.”

Mazel tried to pretend she didn’t. “I know your face, but I don’t know you.”

He seemed surprised. “Really?”

She nodded. “So really, I don’t know who you are.”

“W-where am I?” came a voice. Mazel and Ammon turned to the voice. It was the young girl who was now free. Right away Mazel’s eyes went wide. She knew the girl. Her face anyway. She was a noblewoman. A daughter of another farmer on the other side of the city. She had seen her at the masters home many times. Ammon seemed surprised at well.

Mazel’s choker beeped. She was running out of time. She turned to leave. “Wait!” Ammon’s voice called to her. “That’s it. You have nothing else to say.”

“Not now,” she told him. “Meet me here at midnight, on the roof.”

She turned and fled as her choker began to beep dangerously.

 

8 8 8

 

Ammon had returned home about an hour later, after he had escorted the noblewoman home. He had hurried home soon after, wanting to check up on everyone. His father included. He had left his father as he refused to leave the altar in prayer.

Though when he returned home, he had come across a scene he hadn’t expected. His eyes widened as he saw a large crowd has formed, and there were many screams. He hurried over, spotting his father. “Father, what is happening?”

His father didn’t have time to answer him as he saw two of his father’s guards who were dragging a slave. Not just any slave. It was Mazel. His eyes went wide. “What happened?”

Shen sighed. “Mazel was witnessed by many slaves harming a cat. She must be punished.”

“W-What?”

“She was just trying to help everyone,” Akela cut in “Master, she saved my life!”

Shen glared at the elderly woman. “She’s lucky she’s only going to get a whipping.”

Ammon’s eyes went wide in horror. He could do nothing. She was dragged over to a large boulder that was placed in the center of the field, for just this purpose. She was tied up. She was silent. She didn’t make a sound. It haunted him. Even more as he saw the whipped scars that littered her back. This was hardly her first time. She had accepted her fate.

“She’s being removed from the household,” Shen told Ammon. “She will no longer be your assistant. Another slave will be picked for the job.”

Ammon opened his mouth to protest, but the sound of the whip silenced him.


	9. The Crack of the Whip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mazel is punished for her crimes.

Mazel jumped to hide behind a deserted shop near her home. As she landed, her transformation wore off. She caught the spinning Tikki and smiled at the Kwami. “You alright” she asked.

“Those cats were insane!” Tikki cried.

Mazel laughed a little and placed Tikki into her pouch. She looked around and felt relief. No one was in sight. Mazel examined her arms and legs, and found them covered in cuts and bruises. The slave girl certainly looked like she had been out looking for people in trouble. Now nearby her home, so she quickened her pace. She could see the slaves returning home now, and so she began to look for her sister. There were many faces that she knew, but none belonged to Elisheva. Mazel didn’t have to search much longer. She felt someone grasp her around the waist and hold on. Looking, Mazel saw her little sister hugging her tightly, and she placed a comforting hand on Elisheva’s head.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” Mazel told Elisheva.

The girl nodded lightly and held on. She was still soaking wet from the Nile. It was morning now. They had to get dressed and ready for the day. “Let’s go get dressed.”

They began to head for their hut, but they stopped at the sound of gasps. She turned and looked at the direction that the people’s attention were drawn to. She could see Kwamza, Shen’s assistant, and two large men following behind him. He looked pretty angry. Mazel placed a comforting hand on Elisheva as her sister’s grip tightened around her waist. They stopped in front of the two girls. Kwamza reached out and grabbed Mazel by the shoulder and yanked her forward. The force made Elisheva fall to her knees.  

“Master Shen wishes to see you,” Kwamza stated. His voice was deep and threatening. Mazel’s heart raced in her chest. Elisheva begin to cry behind her. She turned to her sister.

 “Stop crying! Everything will be fine,” she promised. She knew this was a lie. Kwamza wouldn’t be asking for her to come with her unless this was rather serious. She had a sneaking suspicion of what it could be as well. She tried to walk with Kwamza, but he was moving faster than she could walk, so he ended up just dragging her. He was forcing her along too much, and it was causing hurting her. She winced, but she didn’t verbalize her pain beyond that, and she certainly didn’t tell Kwamza. She knew it was pointless.

Elisheva was following, tears were still falling down her cheeks. Many other slaves were following as well. She didn’t understand at first why they were following but then she was thrown to the ground by Kwamza in the middle of the field. She was beside the punishing rock, and she knew instantly she was going to be punished. She looked up and saw that the slaves had gathered in a large circle, leaving a diameter of ten feet all around. Standing nearby was Master Shen. She looked up at him. He looked so furious. He was angrier than she had ever seen him. Her heart raced. This couldn’t have been good at all. He stepped in front of her, and knelt down to her level. Without a word, he pulled his arm back and slapped her across the face. There was a loud clap, and her face twisted in another direction. She felt the stinging burn across her cheek. It made her eyes water. Somewhat use to being slapped for the few times she spoke out in her sister’s defense, she managed to only let out a low groan of pain. She instantly looked down.

He rose to his feet again and finally spoke. “I have heard from many slaves and servants that they witnessed you harming the cats.” She didn’t look up. She couldn’t deny it. She had kicked them away from her as she helped her sister and Akela. She did it. She glanced to one side and saw some of the faces of the other slaves. Many looked upset. Some looked on at her with pity. Then she saw others. They were clustered together and were grinning. The ladies from the kitchen. The same ones that had spoken so ill of her working relationship with Ammon.

She closed her eyes, feeling the full shame of the situation fall onto her shoulders. She nodded at her master. “I’m guilty.”

She heard her sister let out a scream, but she didn’t turn back to see her sister. She knew that another slave was likely holding her back. Though she didn’t expect to hear another voice call out. “Master! You can’t! She didn’t really harm the cats. Just stopped them from harming us. She saved my life!” It was Akela’s voice. She looked up to see the injured woman limping towards them. Shen looked at her. “She only pushed the cats away! She didn’t hurt a cat! I swear on my life she didn’t!”

Shen didn’t look moved by Akela’s words. Instead, he motioned for a servant to grab her. The injured woman let out a cry, as she was dragged off. Shen turned back to Mazel. “I’m choosing to spare your life, if only for your sister’s sake. You will be removed from the house. And you will be put to work repairing the foundations from the floods. Then you will be put back to work in the fields once again. Where you will work every day until your debt is paid. Your sister will remain in the house, since her work is acceptable.”

“Yes, master,” Mazel stated, bowing her body low to the ground. She felt an overwhelming form of regret and sadness fall over her. She felt like she had let her sister down in every way. She could never hope to pay her sisters debt off now. Not for many more years to come. Tears fell down her cheeks.

“This is not the last of your punishment however,” Shen explained. “You will be whipped five times for your sacrilegious act.”

“Yes, master,” Mazel answered. She saw the two men who were with Kwamza approach her, and grabbed her. She was turned away from her master and was now facing the rock.

“Father, what is happening?” she heard his voice. Ammon’s voice, and her eyes went wide.  The men still dragged her closer to the rock and dropped her off in front. One held her in place, while the other grabbed the shackles that were attached to the rock. They clamped them shut on her wrists. She looked down, never looking at the men, the other slaves, or her master or her master’s son. “What happened?” she heard Ammon ask once again.

Her race was racing, knowing that Ammon was actually her partner, Chat Noir. He had been more than likely helping that noblewoman home, and was only just arriving home. She shut her eyes tightly. He shouldn’t have been concerned with this. A slave being whipped was commonplace. This was nothing new. She begged and prayed that he would just go inside, and let her be to her fate. She didn’t want him to see this.

Her master sighed. “Mazel was witnessed by many slaves harming a cat. She must be punished.”

Mazel flinched. She wanted this to end. She didn’t want to have to listen to why she was being punished all over again. She just wanted this to end. “W-What?” she heard Ammon gasp in disbelief.

“She was just trying to help everyone,” Akela cut in again. “Master, she saved my life!”

“She’s lucky she’s only going to get a whipping.”

She couldn’t say or do anything. She just held her breath. She didn’t want him to see her at her weakest. She could hold things together. Everyone was watching. Her sister was watching. She had to be strong. She couldn’t be concerned with what was going to happen to her. She didn’t want those who she cared about to worry about her. Her eyes tightened to the point where they hurt. She was willing this to just pass. It had to pass.

“She’s being removed from the household,” Shen stated matter of factly. “She will no longer be your assistant. Another slave will be picked for the job.”

Just when Mazel was about to cry out that she couldn’t take another moment of listening to this, she felt the whip crash against her bare back. The crack of the whip thundered in her ears, and the hot smearing pain crossed her back. She willed herself to not scream, even as the whip sliced open her skin. She only let out a grunt as she willed her mouth to remain closed.

She waited for the next one. There was the sound of the whip cracking, but it was followed by the echoing sound of gasps filling the air. There was no pain. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked back. Ammon standing in the way. He held his arms to his body, and he fell to his knees. as he hugged his arms to his body. She didn’t understand it. She blinked a few times, and then looked to her master. His eyes were wide.

“A-Aamon,” he stated. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t punish her,” Ammon stated. “Mazel would never bring harm to a cat. She may have pushed the cat aside, but I’m sure she is innocent.”

“She has confessed!” Shen cried. “Grab him!”

Mazel watched to her surprise as one of the men turned and grabbed Ammon. He was much stronger than Ammon and could easily overpower him. Once he was grabbed, he was turned around and Ammon and Mazel met eyes. He looked angry, and she realized how serious this was to him. She watched as he used his arm with his golden bracelet and began to raise it. Knowing fully well what that bracelet was now she shook her head. He couldn’t transform.

“N-No!” Mazel cried. “Please, Master Ammon, stand down. You must stand down. I am guilty! I did what I am accused of. I am but a slave, you mustn’t!” She noticed now that there was blood running down his arm. He had taken the blunt of the whip to his arm and now he was bleeding. She turned her back to him once again and positioned herself again the punishing rock. She closed her eyes once again. “Please continue with the punishment.”

She didn’t hear Ammon say anything else, and she heard Shen give the order. And with the crack of the whip, she once again felt the smearing pain cross her back. She once again only let a grunt escape her lips. Even as she felt blood begin to spill down her back, she didn’t let any more than the grunts escape.

Another crack, and she silently prayed to her god in her head to give her the strength she needed to get through this.

There was another crack. And she tried to block out the sound of her sister’s sobs. She began to verbally begin to pray, silently in her mother tongue that she only used in her prayers. Finally, the final whip was cracked and she finished her prayer with a final grunt. She fell against the rock, resting her head against it. She began to pant, and hot tears fell down her cheeks. The lashes from the whip were deep in her muscles and it hurt to even move.

The men came to her side, and used a key to unlock the shackles, and she was released. She fell forward, crashing into the rock. Elisheva finally reached her, and dropped to her sister’s side. Mazel turned to her sister, and did her best to smile at her in assurance. “I’m okay, it’s nothing,” she told her sister. “I’m okay.”

Elisheva looked at her sister with saddened eyes. “Stop lying. You’re always lying. You’re not okay at all.”

Her sister was always the smarter of the two. She had more than likely caught on years ago when Mazel was lying to protect her sister. She reached for her sister, even though it hurt to move. She lightly carcasses her sisters cheek. “It takes more than this to hurt me.”

To try and prove her sister wrong, she climbed to her feet and tried to look like she was standing as normally as possible. That didn’t work as planned, as she flinched and collapsed against the rock. Elisheva glared at her. “I told you!”

Mazel knew she was caught now. She couldn’t lie, she was in an incredible amount of pain. She couldn’t just wait around, they needed to get back to the hut. They had work to do. “Come on, help me back home,” she finally gave in. Elisheva moved to her sister’s side, and together the two of them returned to the hut, slowly, but eventually. 

 

8 8 8

 

Ammon waited eagerly on the temple’s roof that night. After watching the whipping, he had retreated to his room for the day and had refused to leave. He had buried himself in his studies and paper work. Nothing distracted him though. His thoughts had only been on Mazel. Even now as he was waiting on the roof for Ladybug, he could only think of Mazel.

How could she have chosen to take that whipping? How could she have just accepted going back to the fields? He didn’t know what he could say. The way she looked at him after he took the whip blow for her. She looked terrified at him. He had almost gone into a blind rage. The sight of her bleeding actually made his blood boil, and made him react without even thinking. He very well nearly transformed in front of everyone. What he would have done, he wasn’t sure. Attack maybe? Demand her freedom as a messenger of the gods? Grab her and lead her off to freedom somewhere? He had nothing. It was all ridiculous. He had almost acted like a complete fool.

She was just a slave girl. She wasn’t worth anything of value. Yet, she was more selfless than any person he could even think of. Not a single person, or god for that matter, could compare to her. She was working hard every day, not for herself, but for her sister’s freedom. How could his father take away the only hope she had to reach that goal? She would have little hope now. Not for many, many more years, and the best years of her sister’s life would surely be gone by then.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ladybug finally arriving, climbing up onto the temple roof. She stood up, and looked at him. There were several yards between them. She kept her distance. He stepped a little closer to her, and tried to smile and not look as terribly distracted as he actually was. “Why, Lady Goddess, you’re late.”

She lightly shook her head. “Yeah, well, had a hard time getting away.”

He sensed something about her was off. He tilted his head at her, studying her appearance. “Are you alright?”

She shifted nervously in front of him, and didn’t make eye contact with him. “Of course I am, kitten.”

He still wasn’t convinced, but he looked at her none the less. He knew her nervousness must have stemmed from knowing his identity. And not for a moment did he believe she didn’t have at least some idea of who he was. She had seen him at the palace when Ma’at had attacked. He was finely dressed that night. She would have put a few pieces together that he was in some way of importance to the Pharaoh.

“So, you got to see my face,” he stated. He tried to act as much as himself as he could, but being transformed as Chat Noir always brought out a flirty side of himself that he just wasn’t accustomed to. “Did you like what you saw?” When that came out, it surprised him, but, at the same time it didn’t.

It seemed to surprise her a little, because seemed to shift nervously. She did however finally look at him. “I was hardly looking. You had just tried to kill me.”

He at least was thankful that she was looking at him now. “Well, I am glad that no harm came to you.”

He saw something flash across her face, but he couldn’t pin point what that was. She just looked at him, and then opened her mouth, but instantly closed her mouth again. “Well…not completely…the cats…”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m covered in scratches too.” Something seemed to be bothering her, but he just couldn’t pin point it. He wanted to ask again, but she would never tell him. She liked her privacy. He stepped closer to her, and she looked at him with a bewildered look on her face, she looked panicked. “Ladybug, what is wrong?”

He reached for her, but she shifted away. “Please, don’t,” she begged.

He had never heard her sound anything but confident around him, but she seemed different today. It couldn’t just because she saw his bare face. He drew his hand away like he had been burned. He didn’t look any less concerned. “Did something happen?”

She quickly shook her head. Fast enough that he knew that she was lying. He frowned. “Don’t lie.”

She flinched. Now he was concerned. Something had happened. He reached for her again, this time hoping to bring some comfort to her, and she tensed up. He brought his arms around her, and brought her into a comforting hug. Much like the ones his deceased mother had given him as a small child. He felt her tense up. Not because of his sudden boldness, but instead due to something else.

She took in a sharp breath, and pushed him off of her lightly. She winched as she moved away from him. He seemed confused, but looked at her. He could see it now, the corner of her eyes were burning. She was fighting tears. Not because she was upset, but because she seemed to be in pain. “Lady…what happened? Bastet…did she hurt you?”

She shook her head. “I-it’s nothing. Really. I just don’t like being touched. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I can keep your identity a secret, because I don’t know who you are. Let’s just keep this a working relationship. So, I must take my leave now. Be well.”

She turned and ran, leaping off of the temple roof. He was surprised by this, but he wouldn’t let her get away that easily. This wasn’t just a working relationship. They were more than that. They were both chosen to protect the city from these false gods. They were partners. He leapt off the roof after her.


	10. A Child's Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team must battle an Akuma whose has the power of three different Gods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus scroll: It’s an instruction manual to the journey to the afterlife. These had to be buried with a person once they were mummified or the Egyptians believed that one couldn’t pass the trials to the next life. These were extremely expensive, and only the super rich could afford both it and mummification. Thus, only the rich were mummified or had this scroll. 
> 
> Sistrum: It’s a rattle like object used for cats mostly, but it was a lot like the modern day rattles typically used for children.

He wasn’t far behind her, and this made Mazel panic. Why was he following her? He had never followed her before. There was a pain in the pit of her stomach that had formed the moment she realized that he was behind her. She was barely ahead of him by just one-hundred yards, but that just wasn’t enough. She was running as fast as she could, jumping from roof to roof, and was hoping and praying for some sort of escape from him. He was determined to talk to her, and determined to discover her identity, and she couldn’t have that.

He was expecting a fine Egyptian lady. That was everything she wasn’t. The shame filled her. It had always bothered her that she was a slave. She had yearned for her freedom. She had lived with it because she didn’t have a choice. She had been taken from her parents and forced to work for little money to pay off a debt she wouldn’t have had if they hadn’t stolen her away. She had almost accepted this life, and then _he_ had come along. Her slave masters son, who she has seen hundreds of times through the years and had never paid any mind too. However, one day, he just took an interest in her and decided to take her under his wing. To make things all the more complicated, he turned out to be her partner, Chat Noir.

Chat Noir constantly flirted with her, and clearly had an interest in her. She could have lived with all the flirting and teasing, until she found out he had been Ammon all along. Now she felt every ounce of shame and disgust fill her. She was nobody. She was just a slave girl who would never earn her freedom. If he ever discovered her identity, he would be disappointed. Who wouldn’t be? Everyone thought of her as a goddess.

So she had to run, but even as she did, he was right behind her. She tried to use an extra burst of energy, but it was too late, he grabbed her and twisted her around so both his arms were grasping her tightly. She cried out as his arms pressed up against her wounded back. They came to a stop on a roof, and she fell to her knees. His arms were still around her, and she tried to pull free, if only to ease the pain.

“Ladybug, what is wrong?” he asked. She looked at him and could see the concern in his eyes. She looked down at his arms.

“You’re hurting me,” she said.

He released her instantly. She still felt the pain, but she felt some of the pressure ease up. Ammon looked at her with concern. “Were you hurt with the battle with the Akuma?”

Mazel didn’t want to lie, but she knew it was for the best. She nodded. “While you were possessed, she clawed up my back.”

“C-Can I see?” he asked.

Her eyes went wide, and she panicked. “N-No, its fine. I had a doctor look at it. He says they will heal just fine.”

He lightly nodded, seemingly understanding. He still knelt beside her. There was an awkward silence between them, and she looked down. He did the same, and after several moments he spoke. “Why don’t you want me to know who you are?”

She couldn’t speak. She didn’t dare. Fear filled every inch of her as her heart raced. She clenched her hands into fists as she continued to look down. “I’m not what everyone thinks I am. I’m not what you think I am. I know that everyone thinks I’m a goddess. You think I’m some daughter of a noblemen, but I’m not. I’m a nobody. I can’t reveal who I am, for a million reasons.  The safety of my loved ones being the most important.”

She could sense his body tense up, and she knew that he was going to try and say something else, but their attentions were suddenly drawn elsewhere. The sounds of screaming echoed through the streets. The very sound of screams had become the sound of battle horn, telling soldiers to prepare for battle.

Mazel climbed to her feet, and turned to the direction of the closest screams. Ammon stood with her and looked around. “We got to go check on them,” Mazel stated.

“Wait!” Ammon stated. “Can you handle it? You’re injured!”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. The city needs both of us.”

Mazel was already jumping from roof to roof, heading towards the closest scream. Her partner followed close behind. They landed on a street and Mazel centered on one of the houses. They found a woman huddled over, clenching her visibly pregnant belly. Her husband held her and was attempting to comfort the woman. A child was nearby, crying and scared. They looked up when the two entered.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” the man cried. “Please! What is wrong with my wife?!”

Being that the city thought of them as a god and goddess, Mazel wasn’t surprised that this man thought they knew what was going on. She chose to be honest with the man. “We are just investigating, but we will do what we can for your wife. How far along is she?”

“She is only five months along,” the man explained.

Mazel didn’t know much about being pregnant. Just how it happened and that labor happened around eight or nine months. She hadn’t helped out with any of the slaves who were pregnant. She had been considered far too young. She was only just of age now. She honestly didn’t know what was going on.

Chat Noir had shifted over to the woman and knelt down beside her. He didn’t seem too thrilled as he examined her. In fact, he looked rather distressed. “You need to get a doctor here now,” Chat Noir explained. “She’s having a miscarriage. She is going to lose this baby, but you can save her.”

The man’s eyes went wide, and the woman began to sob loudly. Mazel didn’t know how Ammon knew this, but she didn’t question it. He had hundreds of scrolls around the house, and seemed interested in many subjects. Perhaps some of them were filled with medical knowledge. She didn’t know, but he stood quickly. “There are hundreds more women calling out around the city, I fear they may be more woman like this right now.”

Mazel climbed to her feet, and looked down at the woman sadly. There was nothing they could do. She knew nothing about this sort of stuff. And if there were many more women like this, then this was no doubt the work of some higher power. Not the work of a god, but rather another false one.

They slipped out, and the two began to explore and investigate the screams. Mazel’s heart raced in her chest as she moved about the city. There were more and more screams. Every one that they investigated was the same story. A pregnant woman beginning to have a miscarriage. All of them were at different stages of pregnancy. Some weren’t even showing yet. Some were ready to give birth at any moment.

It was at this point that Ammon began to panic a little. He began to insist that they had to get to the palace at that very moment. She didn’t understand why. He was pretty upset, and when she questioned this, he let her know. “I know you claim you don’t know who I really am, and that’s fine, but I am related to the Pharaoh. His wife is eight months pregnant and is very ill. It’s very probable that birthing this child will kill her.”

Mazel hadn’t expected him to be so honest about this answer, but she didn’t question him anymore. They took off in the direction of the palace at the edge of the northern part of the city. They easily climbed over the walls into the garden. A few of the guards were surprised to see them, but they decided not to pursue when they noticed the intruders were the city guardians. The two heroes wasted no time and ran into the palace. Ammon knew the way, and easily lead Ladybug to the royal chamber where his aunt had been recovering.

Ammon threw open the door and found several doctors inside, as well as a few priests, the queen, and the very panicked Pharaoh. Mazel knew how unusual it was for any male to be in the birthing room, but she suspected that Pharaoh Tutankhamun wasn’t exactly an average man and obviously deeply cared for his wife. Seeing how concerned the Pharaoh was, Mazel remembered hearing her master speak in a grave tone about the queen’s chances of survival.

Pharaoh Tutankhamun was surprised to see the two in the doorway, but he quickly recovered and brushed past the doctors and the priests to meet them. He bowed low to the ground, making Mazel instantly feel even more uncomfortable with this situation than she already was. “Ladybug, Chat Noir, you have my thanks for coming. My prayers were answered!” He stated. He looked up at the two, smiling. “You are here to save my wife and child, bless it be to the gods!”

Before Mazel could explain to him that they didn’t have the direct power, Ammon did. “Pharaoh, we have come to investigate. We fear that there could be another false god in the city. We heard of the queen’s situation and wished to check on her.”

The Pharaoh looked confused. “But surely Ladybug could do something about this?” he asked. “Ladybug creates miracles, and if we ever needed one, saving my queen would be the most worthy.”

Mazel tried to cut in now. “I’m sorry, Pharaoh. I cannot heal the sick. I can fix damage that has been caused by the false gods. I am not capable of healing. If I could, I would.”

“I don’t understand. You’re refusing to help me?” Pharaoh Tutankhamun stated. “I am the human incarnation the god Ra, why are you two not helping me?”

Ammon stepped up. “We do not have the power to heal people, but we will stop the false gods who have done this,” Ammon explained to his uncle. “We are guardians of the city. We can fight, and that is it.”

“How dare yo-” the Pharaoh was cut off by the sound of his wife calling out to him. The three looked over to the queen who was covered in sweat and looked like a mess. She called out to her husband again. He returned to her side and grasped her outstretched hand.

“Tutankhamun, please do not put blame in the wrong place,” she begged of him. “These two have saved the city many times. They saved everyone when possible. You know that I am not fearful to leave this place. You shouldn’t be either. Death is only the beginning.”

He kissed his wife’s hand, and held her hand in his tightly. She looked at the two and smiled. “Do not mind my husband. He simply doesn’t wish to lose me. He thinks we should leave to the other realm together. I’m sure you two understand how he feels perfectly.”

Mazel was thankful that half her face was covered in her red paint like a mask, because she felt a red heat cover her cheeks at the queen’s comments. Clearly the people thought of them as a lot more than just partners. Mazel imagined priests and storytellers making up stories about how they believed the two married, and what gods were their parents or children. Mazel immediately wanted to nip this one in the bud, but she knew this wasn’t the time or place. She and Ammon knew the truth, and she supposed that was all that really mattered.

“We will figure this out,” Ammon stated. “The false god behind this will pay.”

He motioned for Ladybug to follow him. That it was time for them to leave. She agreed. She followed him back out into the hallway, and he took off running. She ran after him as he began to head out into the garden. He looked angry, but not at her. The situation rather. Once they were out in the garden he looked around and began to sniff at the air.

“What is it? You sense something?” she asked.

He nodded. And he turned to look around. He was glaring around him. “It’s here. Watching us.”

She looked around, but she couldn’t see as well in the darkness as he could. She couldn’t sense anything out of the ordinary, but Ammon began to growl, just loud enough for Mazel to hear. “Come out you coward,” she heard him say. “Face me before I force you out.”

Ammon was glaring at a lump of soil nearby, covered in a local brush. He didn’t stop, even as the lump of soil cracked open, and the brush broke free and fell over from the spoil. Rising out of the ground was a tall and thin male form. He looked every bit like a god. He wore the same beautiful jewellery, except for his headdress, and his head was covered in large tall feathers.

“Shu,” Mazel whispered. The god of the wind and air. This didn’t make sense to her. How was the god of wind and air causing miscarriages? Then she noticed what he was holding. Two tiny babies. One in each arm. They looked like dolls, but it seemed they were real. In his left hand was what looked like a normal baby, but dressed in the same way that all the male gods dressed. Fine cotton clothes, jewelry from the finest materials, but he wore a headband. He was the god of earth.

“Geb,” Ammon stated.

The baby in Shu’s right hand was dressed like a female goddess. Though instead of a headdress, there was a round clay pot on her head. Mazel couldn’t believe her eyes. “Nut,” she heard Ammon continue. She was the goddess of the sky and heaven. There were three gods. Though neither seemed to understand why Nut and Geb were baby like. It clearly had to do with the pregnant women.

Shu looked at them, though the babies eyes were closed and they remained still. It was Ammon who noticed how closely he held the babies together. “Oh no,” she heard him mutter.

“W-what?” she asked. She was scared to know the answer, despite knowing that it was vital to them right now.

“Shu lives in the air to keep Geb and Nut apart. Though they exist, they cannot be kept together,” he explained. “The closer they are held together, the less life can exist.”

“The babies!” Mazel gasped. “Geb and Nut are making the women miscarry!”

“We got to get those babies as far away as possible from him,” Ammon explained.

She nodded. She was thankful that he knew more about the stories than she did. She knew of the more commonly worshipped, but these three weren’t as well known in this part of Egypt. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took her yo-yo off of her hip. He pulled out his sceptre and extended it. Shu frowned and then looked down at his son, Geb. The infant began to giggle, and the sound of a baby’s laugher filled the air. At first, Mazel didn’t understand, but then the ground began to shake. Her eyes went wide as she realized that they were experiencing an earthquake. The ground below Mazel’s feet began to crack apart, and split. She nearly lost her balance, but shifted to one side of the crack and looked at Ammon who was just as stunned as her. Though he recovered quickly and brought his spectre up, beginning to spin it. He readied to attack, but suddenly he froze. Mazel’s own eyes went wide as she realized that Shu’s eyes were now glowing white. Another glance at Ammon made her realize that his face was turning pale, and slightly blue. Shu had sucked the air right out of Ammon’s lungs.

Mazel quickly recovered from her shock over the earthquake, and she spun her yo-yo around, throwing it at Shu. It struck him directly on his head. His eyes turned back to brown, and he turned to glare at her. She was his target now. This gave Ammon time to recover as he was now on his knees now gasping for air.

She used her yo-yo again, and aimed for Shu’s legs. It began to wrap around him, but the wind suddenly picked up and threw the yo-yo back at her. One glance showed Nut, whose tiny mouth was now open, was blowing out air, causing the strong wind. She wasn’t sure what to do. This Akuma had more abilities than the others. She bit her lip nervously. How were they supposed to get close enough?

The wind picked up, and the sand began to mix in with the wind. This caused both Ammon and Mazel to protectively cover their eyes. Now they were blinded by the mini sandstorm. She stumbled as she almost fell into the open crack from Geb’s earlier earthquake. She fell to her knees. She tried to look through the sand to the Akumas. She saw a faint outline of pink. It looked like it was the same shape as the Akuma butterflies. She didn’t understand what she was seeing. The pink glow approached her, and as she fought to cover her eyes as she saw the glow get close enough to see Shu’s face. It was covered by this butterfly shape. She didn’t understand what it was, as she hadn’t seen it before. She tried to understand what it was, but Shu quickly tried to use his hand to grab her choker. It was an awkward grab because he was holding a baby in each arm, so she was able to quickly pull away.

Shu finally spoke. “Hand over your miraculous and you will live.”

“I will never hand it over,” she hissed. She looked over to her partner, though she couldn’t see him in the storm. “Whatever has caused you so much pain, I can help. Just please stop this.”

He glared at her. The sandstorm eased away to nothing, but his eyes began to glow white again. This time he drew the oxygen out of her, choking her. She gasped, but there was nothing. She reached up around her neck and felt herself begin to panic. She looked over at Ammon, who was charging at the Akuma. He easily struck him with his sceptre and this brought the Shu’s eyes back to brown.

Mazel began to take in air once again. She coughed and began to wheeze.  Ammon stood by protectively as she began to catch her breath again. “He can…one power…time.”

Ammon nodded, telling her that he understood what she had been trying to tell him through her wheezes. He could only use one power at a time. Shu glared at the two, and he began to bring the babies closer together. There was a loud scream from the palace, and Mazel looked at Ammon with worry. He looked furious. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Ammon charged at the Akuma with his staff in hand. Mazel knew that she had to take the chance to use her lucky charm. She knew that would help. She threw her yo-yo into the air and called out for a lucky charm. The charm fell into her hands. She tilted her head in surprise. It was a sistrum. She looked over at Chat Noir to see him fighting, trying to strike at Shu. Shu chuckled when he saw the sistrum. “What do you plan to do with that?”

Ammon struck him again. “Keep your eyes on me,” Ammon demanded. He was angry, and didn’t like the fact that his opponent was ignoring him. Ammon had a personal score to settle with this Akuma.

Shu glared and began to bring the babies together once again. Ammon cut in and took a swing at one of the infants. Shu leapt back. “Don’t you dare! Never touch my children!”

The sandstorm started up again and both heroes were forced to cover their eyes. Still, Ammon was angry, clearly protective of his aunt and unborn cousin. “You can’t be too concerned with your actions. You’re killing the unborn of the city!”

Ammon’s comment obviously bothered Shu. The sandstorm stopped, and Geb began to laugh once again. This triggered yet another earthquake, this one being stronger than the last. Buildings in the distance began to crumble and fall apart. Pieces of the palace began to break off. Ammon hissed while Shu laughed along with his son. “If I can’t have my child, then no one will!”

Mazel’s eyes went wide. That was it. One of the babies was dead. She turned to Ammon, whose expression read the same surprise as hers. Her heart raced. Could the Akuma be inside the dead baby? And if so, which one? She glanced down at the sistrum again. What was she supposed to do? Mazel shifted as another large crack appeared in the garden, splitting the ground open. As she shifted, the sistrum rattled. Mazel froze when she heard the sound of Geb giggle harder. Mazel glanced up, but she was surprised to find Baby Geb’s eyes were opened now as he giggled. The other baby remained silent. She got an idea. “Chat, make him change his attacks!”

Ammon didn’t understand, but he knew that Ladybug was extremely clever. Trusting her, he charged at the Akuma once again. Geb quickly stopped his giggles and Nut once again started up another sandstorm. Though the wind was howling, Mazel began to shake the sistrum. She began to move through the storm, heading in the direction of Shu. She continued to shake the sistrum. She heard Geb giggling as she moved towards the sound. No sound escaped from Nut. “Chat!” she called.

“It’s Nut!” Ammon cried. “I know!”

“Stay away from my children!” Shu cried out.

She could barely see Ammon through the storm, but she somewhat make out his blurry form. He was following the sound of laughter through the sandstorm. She saw him freeze for a moment, but he held his staff up, and she saw him swing it. There was the sound of his staff hitting something, and then there was a thud. The sandstorm disappeared instantly.

What was left was Shu standing there, holding his still giggling son. His other arm now free of Nut. Ammon was still standing in his swinging position and looked down at the still form of Nut on the ground. It took Mazel a moment to notice the little black Akuma beginning to float away. There was silence, except for the sounds of Mazel capturing the black butterfly, purifying it, and releasing it.

She then used her miraculous cure, and everything in the city was fixed. All the damage, and the man was cured. This left a very young man, holding onto a now crying infant. The child looked much younger than its form as Geb. A new born. Barely a few hours old. On the ground nearby was the form of a dead baby.

Mazel walked towards the man. He was holding his son to his body, but looked at his dead daughter and was sobbing. Mazel knelt down by the baby and lifted the small, frail, body up. She held it and looked at the man with great sympathy. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“M-my wife,” he stated. “She died. I lost my daughter…I don’t know if I can do this myself.”

Mazel cradled the little body in her arms like it was a living child. She nodded. “I understand. I raised a child on my own when I was but a child myself. It’s scary, but I know you can do it. That child will need his father more than ever.”

The man nodded lightly. He knew that she was right. Ammon had shrunk his spectre and knelt down beside Mazel. He reached for the baby, and Mazel handed it over to him. He looked very sadly at the infant. He turned to the young man in front of him. The man looked was barely two years older than them. “I will get your daughter prepped properly for the afterlife.”

“W-would you?” he gasped.

Ammon nodded. “Tomorrow, go to the temple. I will have someone help you collect your wife. They will be prepared together and they will leave for the afterlife together.”

The man bowed now. “T-thank you Chat Noir! You both have my eternal thanks!”

Mazel smiled at Ammon. Though the situation was tragic in every sense of the word, his was going above and beyond. Ammon stood, still holding the infant’s body. He turned to Mazel and passed her the little body. “Can you bring her to the priests in the temple? I will meet you there shortly. I must see the Pharaoh.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

Though her power was going to run out, she knew that she had to do this. This child had to be put to rest somehow. Even if she didn’t believe in anything the Egyptians believed, she knew it helped the living cope with the loss. And with a loss such as this, she was sure that this was needed for that young man.

She turned away, and ran in the direction of the temple, holding on dearly to the precious bundle.

 

8 8 8

 

Ammon landed back into his aunt’s chamber. He was expecting the worst, but he was wrong. He was thankful to every god he knew that he was wrong. Before him was his aunt, holding onto her baby, smiling as she looked down at the newborn. His eyes went wide as relief fell over him. They were both alright.

And standing by the bed was his uncle, smiling and full of pride. They looked up when they noticed him. Ammon moved past the doctors, guards and priests. He stopped by his aunt’s bedside. She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

At first he could only nod, but finally he spoke. “So you both came out of it safely?”

His uncle spoke up. “The doctor says that she is still at risk, but our son is safe.”

Ammon was glad that at least the worst was over. At least the heir had been born, and was alright. It was all he had cared about. He nodded. “I’m very relieved to hear it.”

His aunt, Queen Ankhesenmum smiled at him. He was surprised at how she smiled at him. Just like she did for him every time he visited her. His heart raced nervously, but right now, he didn’t care. He was just relieved. He knelt down beside the bed and bowed. “Praise be to the future Pharaoh.”

Ankhesenmum smiled at him, and nodded. He stood, and looked at his uncle. “Ladybug is waiting for me, I must go.”

His uncle bowed to him, and so Ammon turned and ran out of the palace, and began to head towards the temple. He quickly landed nearby. He stared at the front of the temple, where he could see Ladybug talking to one of the priests. She had handed him over the bundle, and he was looking at the baby with a very saddened expression. Ladybug didn’t look that happy either. He moved from his place, and moved out to meet Ladybug. Both the priest and Ladybug glanced over to him. The priest bowed quickly.

“He knows that the father will come tomorrow. They will send for a few men to help bring his wife here,” Ladybug explained to him.

Ammon nodded and pulled out his change purse and handed it over to the priest. The priest took it but looked rather confuse but looked inside. The priest’s eyes went wide as he saw the gold pieces. “I believe this will be enough for mummification, the Papyrus scroll and everything else the mother and child will need.”

The priest nodded. “Y-yes, of course.”

Ladybug looked at him with surprise, though he didn’t look back at her, and just nodded at the priest. Ladybug’s choker began to beep, warning her that she was about to turn back. She panicked. The priest seemed confused, but she turned away and ran off. Ammon was still very concerned because he knew that Ladybug had to have known who he was now because he admitted he was related to the Pharaoh. He watched as she ran around a corner, but he still wasn’t going to let her get away that easily.

When she ran around the corner, he saw a flash of light. He ran and stopped just before the corner. He could hear voices. Two voices. One he knew as Ladybug’s. The other, he didn’t know. It was a high pitched voice, and seemed very friendly.

“Ladybug?” he asked from around the corner. Both gasped and he heard them shift and move. “I’m not peeking,” he tried to assure. He could sense that his words didn’t comfort. She seemed even more panicked now. “Ladybug, we need to talk about this. Just tell me, you’re not ready to reveal yourself. Don’t run. I’m your partner, do I not deserve that?”

There was silence for but a moment but then there was a very quiet answer. “…Yes.” She sounded scared, exposed, and rather embarrassed. “And yes…”

“Then, that’s enough,” he stated. “That’s all I wanted to know. You’re my equal, no matter what.”

He didn’t hear her voice, but he could hear the other voice giving comforting words to the civilian form of Ladybug. He assumed that the voice was that of her Kwami. “Chat…?” Ladybug asked in a soft voice.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I need to get home. I have someone waiting for me,” she stated. It was more like a question. Like she was asking him permission to go home. He nodded lightly but continued to stare at the corner, still not daring to actually look around it, despite how much he wanted too. “I understand. I’ll leave now. Wait a few minutes and head home yourself. Be safe…okay?”

“Thank you, kitten,” he heard her say.

He smiled and leaned against the wall, even if it was just for a moment. “Good night, Lady Goddess.”

He then left, just as promised. This left Mazel around her corner. She peeked out with Tikki, watching him leave the scene, jumping onto a roof and then disappearing. She bit her bottom lip nervously, and turned to Tikki. Her heart was pounding in her chest like crazy. She thought for sure her identity would have been revealed to him. And then she had no idea what she would do. She knew he would hardly think of her as an equal if he knew the truth. The words Tikki had whispered to her echoed in her mind.

 _‘He’s just worried. He cares about you. No matter what you think, he will always care.’_  

She sighed and looked away as her words echoed in her mind for the millionth time. “Tikki, let’s go home.”


End file.
